Everyone was expecting trade but none of the names mentioned in the recent three-team trade involving the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder were pretty much in the news the past weeks.
Though Dion Waiters has long been rumored to be on the trading block, his departure was not really surprising. Since the arrival of Lebron James, Waiters' minutes have dwindled behind the King and resident star Kyrie Irving. And so the trade as far as the Cavs is concerned was not really surprising.
But the question is, did the Cavs gain with the arrival of J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert? While the Cavs do need help fast, he person they needed was in the middle. While both are excellent scorers who could spell James or Irving, the fact remains they did not solve their need – a big man.
Smith can help out in the scoring department while Shumpert should be useless for now. Shumpert is out with a dislocated shoulder so he is not expected to see action just yet.
For the Knicks, giving up Shumpert and Smith allows them to dislodge some unneeded financial obligations. And apparently this is what Phil Jackson has in mind as he tries to rebuild for the future with a forgettable season to start his tenure as president for the Knicks.
The obvious winner from the three-team trade is OKC. The Thunder have added another scoring option from the bench and Waiters can surely do that. Waiters has shown his offensive prowess and his coming to the Thunder fold is expected to work wonders for coach Scott Brooks and company.
"Dion provides another proven scorer that positively impacts our roster and adds depth and flexibility," Thunder general manager Sam Presti said in a statement.
Waiters, 23, averaged 10.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals for the Cavs this season while shooting 40 percent from the field.
