It has been a while since the Cleveland Cavaliers (Cavs) traded most of their key players for a younger defensive stand. It may have been a very good decision for the Cavs, but the results of those trades seem to be average at best. Meanwhile, fans of Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. may still well be disappointed with the Los Angeles Lakers for trading those two to clear up cap space.
The Cleveland Cavaliers traded off Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, Iman Shumpert and Channing Frye. In turn, they added George Hill, Rodney Hood, and the aforementioned Clarkson and Nance Jr. (formerly of the Lakers) to the team. At the time, many agreed that the fruits of the trade cannot be determined for sure.
This month, analysts had plenty of time to analyze the Cavs' games. TNT analyst Kenny Smith said earlier that the Cavs will have to go through a "honeymoon period where nobody has a game plan" for the new members. Yet time proved that the trades yielded not-so-spectacular results for the team, after all.
The Cavs lost four of their playoff games against the Washington Wizards, San Antonio Spurs, Philapdehia 76ers, and the Denver Nuggets. While most people view the Cavs' latest trades as a wise move, the results speak for themselves, and it seems far less than optimal.
Getting Lakers' Nance and Clarkson did not help soften the blows one bit, especially with Clarkson being perceived as "damaged goods."
However, the recent trade seemed to work in favor of Thomas, who confessed that he intended to stay with the Cavs for a long time. His reason was not much out of a sense of newfound loyalty to the team. Rather, he just said that he was already tired of being traded.
