Cleveland’s obviously in a tough position in terms of avenues to improve their team going forward. Given their cap restrictions and lack of picks, the only way they’re going to acquire a huge asset would be to break up their core and possibly trade Kevin Love. Of course, making a seismic shift like that is tough to do when you’re not fully convinced LeBron James is sticking around for the long haul anyway.
Here are some minor deals that I thought of, but may not be totally baked yet. According to ESPN’s trade machine, they all work out (players listed with remaining salaries), but do any they make sense on both sides? I’m not sure. What do you think? Do any of these have merit?
(A) SG Iman Shumpert ($10.3+$11p), SF Richard Jefferson ($2.5+$2.5), and PF Channing Frye ($7.4) for SF Carmelo Anthony ($26.2+$27.9p)
Is it finally time for Carmelo and LeBron to team up?
For the majority of these trades, Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye are included as cap fillers to make the salaries work. They’re both solid vets (and podcasters), but their days of being impact contributors against a team like Golden State are probably behind them. The fact that both have short term deals may be beneficial in certain packages though if teams are looking to get out from long-term salaries.
In this case, it’d be a team like the Knicks looking to get out from short-term salary and some awkwardness with Carmelo Anthony. In reality, the Knicks don’t have to move Anthony, since he’s expiring soon — they’re better off letting him come off the books naturally than taking bad assets in return. Given that, this deal would only make sense if the Knicks viewed Iman Shumpert as a legitimate asset moving forward. He’s a solid defender at least.
Obviously, I like it more from the Cavs’ perspective. Carmelo Anthony isn’t a superstar anymore, but he can be a solid 3rd or 4th option on a short-term deal. If it doesn’t work and LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony both leave next summer, oh well, at least you’re off the hook and ready to rebuild. It’s a swing at the plate, without hamstringing you in the future.
(B) SG Iman Shumpert ($10.3+$11p) and PF Channing Frye ($7.4) for SG Wesley Matthews ($17.8+$18.6)
This would be predicated on the Dallas Mavericks wanting to dump Wesley Matthews salary. He’s a great worker and presumptive 3-and-D wing, although he hasn’t completely regained his form since his return from injury (below 40% from the field each of the last two years). If the Mavs think he’s cooked and want to use that cap space toward younger players, it could make some sense for them to unload him, with that $18+ million in 2018-19 being the real money saver.
For the Cavs, Matthews could probably vault Wes Matthews into the Iman Shumpert role and give you more quality minutes there. He’s still a solid three point shooter (36%+) and has the toughness to guard SGs and SFs, if not the size at 6’5″.
(C) SG Iman Shumpert ($10.3+$11p) and PF Channing Frye ($7.4) for SG Allen Crabbe ($18.5+$19.5+$18.5p)
Again, this would only make sense if Portland wanted to dump Allen Crabbe’s contract. Personally, I’m a big Crabbe fan. He’s the 3-and-D shooting guard that you’d want Wesley Matthews to be, only he’s younger (25) and a better shooter right now. He actually shot 44.4% from three last year. If I was any team in the league, I’d be looking at Crabbe, even with that bloated salary. It’s crowded in Portland’s backcourt, but there may be a dozen other teams that Crabbe could start for at SG, including Cleveland.
Unfortunately, this trade wouldn’t make much sense for Portland, because I believe they can acquire more than cap relief from a Crabbe deal. But who knows — maybe my Crabbemania has me blinded. Is he a legitimate asset like I think? Or a toxic one that the team would want to dump?
(D) PF Channing Frye ($7.4) and SF Richard Jefferson ($2.5+$2.5) for SF Solomon Hill ($12.2+$12.7+$13.3)
Similar logic applies here, where the Pelicans may be regretting their big contract for Solomon Hill. Hill may be underrated, actually, given the fact that he can defend at SF and PF. For that reason, I like him as a fit for Cleveland. He’s not a stellar offensive player by any means, so perhaps the team wouldn’t want to tie their hands to him for three years.
The same question would be natural for New Orleans as well. Hill’s a solid rotational player, but probably not worth $10+ million a year. If they can get future cap relief for him, it makes some sense, particularly with DeMarcus Cousins slated to hit free agency next summer.
(E) PF Channing Frye ($7.4) and SF Richard Jefferson ($2.5+$2.5) for SG Courtney Lee ($11.7+$12.2+$12.7)
Our final “salary dump” deal would center on Courtney Lee. Like Wesley Matthews, Courtney Lee’s still a solid starter at SG. He can defend and he can hit the three (40.1% last year). That said, he’s also already 31 years old, so that contract may get uglier by the end of its run. IF the Knicks want to completely rebuild from scratch, dumping Lee’s future salary can help clear up space.
It’s also not a complete slam dunk for Cleveland. While Courtney Lee could help them now versus Golden State, they may not want to be on the hook for long-term money either, given that elephant in the room with LeBron.
