The Cavaliers’ haul in the Kyrie Irving blockbuster included one of the NBA’s top scorers, a solid two-way wing on one of the league’s most affordable contracts, and a young big man with legit upside. Nonetheless, the crown jewel of the deal from Cleveland’s perspective may have been the Nets’ 2018 first-round pick, which is unprotected.
While that first-rounder will prove very useful if the Cavs need to retool their roster following the 2017/18 season, GM Koby Altman tells Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net that the team will consider every option for the pick — including trading it.
“When we acquired it, we had every intention of keeping it and using it,” Altman said of the Nets’ pick. “But I also think we have a responsibility to see to what’s out there. I think there will be tremendous interest. We have a responsibility to listen to calls.”
Even if the Cavaliers decide to hang onto the Nets’ pick, having it available gives the club more flexibility when it comes to making other trades. As we discussed earlier this week, the Cavs have traded their 2019 first-round pick, so normally they’d be prohibited from trading their 2018 first-rounder due to the Ted Stepien Rule. But with a pair of first-round picks now in hand for ’18, Cleveland has the freedom to move one of the two.
“A big thing we really valued when making the trade is the fact that it is unprotected,” senior director of basketball operations Brock Aller told Amico. “So looking at it, we have the flexibility to trade our own pick, or the pick we received (via the Nets).”
As Aller notes, that lack of protection is crucial — if the Celtics had placed even top-one protection on that Nets pick, the Cavs would have had trouble trading their own first-rounder, since there would have been a chance of being left without a first-rounder for two consecutive future years in that scenario, violating the Stepien Rule.
Ultimately, I’d expect the Cavs to hang onto the Nets’ pick and dangle their own first-rounder in trade talks as the deadline nears. However, if a star player becomes available or if LeBron James commits to staying in Cleveland beyond this season, the idea of trading that Brooklyn first-rounder would likely become more feasible.
Make Lebron sign on the dotted line before doing anything.
You don’t “make” LeBron do anything.
Make me a bicycle, clown!
That’s like saying “make” James Harden play defense
Lol
Points!
Hmmmm not happening
That is a very ignorant statement as Lebron James is planning on opting out of his contract once it expires July 1 2018. The only chance that he will resign with the Cavaliers is if they trade the Nets first round pick along with suitable players for salary considerations to attain a player the likes of Cousins or Gasol and then attain a championship. With Tyronne Lue as the head coach who used foolhardy idiotic lineups against the Warriors that type of lineup management must change and a structure 2nd string unit must be designated to arrange 3-5 non starting lineups for use throughout the season and in to the playoffs regardless of opponent. No more add hock gimmick lineups of going small and spreading the floor eliminating the frontcourt of Derrick Williams and Channing Frye. establish some consistency and let the lineups gel and come together with better team precision and over all chemistry.
Basically he’s saying if they’re in a good spot before the deadline with IT healthy and Lebron’s verbal guarantee that he’s staying they will go for broke.
I wonder if they would trade it for Cousins if he agrees to an extension?
Bad idea. Cousins is one of the laziest players in the league. Only reason he played hard pre-trade last year was because he thought they’d give him the super max extension. You may see Cousins put up some big numbers this year but it’s the last time you’ll see it. Buyer beware.
If the cavaliers have any realistic chance of attaining an nba championship this season they better trade away the nets first round pick to maximize their chances of attaining a title. It is absurd to think that Lebron James would commit to sign a new contract with the Cavaliers as a result of improving the team by trading the first round pick along with expendable players for a major impact player. However he will leave for sure if the Cavaliers keep the nets first round pick and are unsuccessful this season. If trading the pick improves their chances of wining a championship it also increases the odds that James will resign with the Cavaliers. Remember from 2011 to 2014 the Cavaliers were innundated with many early first round picks and never won more than 33 games. Also Tyronn Lue must select a second string unit and incorporate it in to at least 3 to 5 non starting lineups and use them consistently throughout the season and into the playoffs to establish precision, confidence and team unity and chemistry. No more idiotic make shift gimick lineups of spreading the floor and going small that caused their bench to get outscored by 53 points. About time Lue learned how to optimize his bench and establish set fixed non starting lineups and keeping them that way against all teams for better organization and confidence and certainty. If he optimized lineups by using a frontcourt (Channing Frye, Derrick Williams)instead of using a weird small unit with deron Williams,Shumpert, Korver and Jefferson the outcome in the series with the Warriors may have been different. Iman Shumpert is way too small to guard Durant and Jefferson was not fast enouh to square up yet Derrick Williams has the size, quickness and athleticism to have guarded Durant yet Lue showed his incompetency by micro-managing basketball as if it were baseball.
The general manager should let Lue know the best non starting lineups with the greatest positive point differential to help to optimize lineups so that Lue no longer hurts the Cavaliers chances of winning a champonship.
I think your second sentence is missing a reversal-word… that is how I’m reading it… good points.
GSW had a better plan for the finals no doubt. The Cavs prepared for the previous years’ version of GSW and paid for it; to be fair they went with conventional wisdom, a wisdom which incredibly is still predominant around the NBA. Hey people GSW starts a slow oldfashioned center! And their successful plan was seemingly directed at the Cavs C. Nothing has been done about it. There is no second-unit center IMO, and GSW throws them out there in waves.
Considering when GSt goes to there “2nd unit” one of there 4 stars stays on the court and they go small. And will go a lot smaller this year with Swaggy P there.
That asset may have to be used for a guard if Thomas and Rose can’t last. I have been thinking up Cody Zeller trades in my desperation (Gasol and Davis won’t be available soon enough, & Indiana won’t try another big trade).
Should b trying alittle harder to get Melo and hopefully Wade gets bought out and they can sign him. The only way LeBron stays is if a couple of his boys get to Cleveland.
It is hard to believe that dan gilbert turned down a trade prior to the nba draft that would have sent irving and frye to phoenix for josh jackson the 4th pick in the nba draft to indiana and other consideration to eventually attain paul george and eric bledsoe. Repudiated by gilbert because lebron james refused to commit to resign with the cavaliers? Where is the logic in this type of decision? Now gilbert plans on not trading the nets first round draft pick in 2018 acquired in the celtics trade unless lebron james commits to resigning with the cavaliers utterly absurd. The best chance of james remaining with the cavaliers is to improve the team as much as possible to increase chances of winning a championship this season. The nets draft pick does northing to help the cavaliers chances of wining a world title this season or retaining lebron james if it is kept.