Coming into Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, the list of Cavs problems was daunting — too daunting, it seemed, to be addressed in the space of just one day.
The chemistry had deteriorated and gotten toxic. The roster was too old, too lacking in dynamic athletes. The rotation was too thin. The team’s best asset — the Nets’ first-round pick — was deemed untradeable because it was the franchise’s only defense against a possible free-agent departure by LeBron James.
The Cavs were clearly not on the same level as the Raptors and Celtics in the East, and there was some question as to whether they could hold on to their spot as the conference’s No. 3.
DEVENEY: Thomas' tumble continues with no end in sight
Then Thursday happened, and suddenly, the Cavs have a much different look in the short term and a much brighter outlook going forward.
Gone is chief malcontent Isaiah Thomas, moved with 34-year-old center Channing Frye to the Lakers for a pair of 25-year-olds, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. Gone, too, are Jae Crowder, Iman Shumpert and Derrick Rose, jettisoned as part of a three-team trade that brought back another 25-year-old, guard Rodney Hood, as well as veteran point guard George Hill. The Cavs sent Dwyane Wade back to Miami for good measure.
The Cavaliers lost a draft pick in the shuffle, but only their own pick — not the Brooklyn pick.
Just like that, the Cavs have brought in new blood, a younger roster that much better suits James’ skills. The average age of the players Cleveland sent out on Thursday is 30.6; the average age of the new guys is 26.5.
Hill (45.3 percent) and Hood (38.9 percent) are both excellent 3-point shooters who could comprise Cleveland’s new starting backcourt. Clarkson is an ideal bench scorer, and Nance can help hold down the power forward spot until Kevin Love is healthy, then will serve as an adequate backup.
It’s an impressive haul to pull from the carnage of the first 53 games of the season. The Cavs still might not make the leap to the top of the East, not with Hill and three young players who have 11 combined games of postseason experience.
But they cleared out the bad vibes that had infected the team in the last month-plus, and they gave themselves a more dynamic roster that has a chance to come together by the end of the season, or to grow together beyond this year. If you’re looking at winners and losers at the trade deadline — and we are doing just that — then you’ve got to start with the new-look Cavs, who won the day easily.
How did everyone else fare? Glad you asked...
NBA trade deadline winners
Stan Van Gundy: Let’s not forget that the trade deadline started early with a surprise move by the Pistons, landing Blake Griffin last week. So far, so good. The Pistons are 5-0 since the deal and, if Griffin stays healthy, on a path toward resurrecting Van Gundy’s wayward tenure in Detroit. On Thursday, the Pistons added a couple of role players — James Ennis and Jameer Nelson — but more importantly, none of the teams they’re chasing in the East postseason race made significant moves.
Warriors: No, the defending champs didn’t make any major moves. But the good news is that the Rockets didn’t, either. Nor did the Spurs, or Timberwolves. Most significant, the Thunder, which had been in talks to find an upgrade with Andre Roberson out, made no big moves, either. That means the Warriors are set up to coast through the West again.
The 2018 NBA Draft: There were ample productive players available on Thursday for first-round picks, but only two first-rounders were moved ahead of the deadline — the Pistons’ pick to the Clippers in the Griffin trade and the Cavaliers’ pick to the Lakers. Teams are high on this year’s draft, and on the prospect of having players on cheap four-year rookie deals. For a team like Atlanta, with three first-round picks, there is a lot of value in the coming draft.
Heat: Miami had little to work with but came into Thursday determined to bolster the roster however possible. They came away with Wade, who returns to the Heat after a disappointing departure in the summer of 2016. He is averaging 11.2 points, and the Heat would welcome that. Miami also added stretch-4 Luke Babbitt for injured big man Okaro White. These are not earth-shattering moves, but they’ll help a team badly in need of depth.
LEROUX: Lakers' big move sets stage for star-studded summer
NBA trade deadline losers
Isaiah Thomas: When Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson met with the media to discuss the trading away of Clarkson and Nance, he repeatedly emphasized the flexibility that the deal brought to the team, and touted that flexibility as the chief reason for making the deal. That flexibility, Johnson said, could be used to bring in star players. He barely mentioned any benefit that might come from Thomas himself, who was an MVP candidate just a year ago. But for the purposes of this deal, Thomas’ only value to the Lakers was that he has an expiring contract and will be a free agent this summer.
Tyreke Evans: What a bummer. The Grizzlies went to Evans last week and told him that they were shutting him down in order to deal him to a contender. All week, Evans was connected to Boston, a team with a chance to go to the NBA Finals, and to his hometown Sixers. But neither would give up a first-rounder for him, and the Grizzlies wound up empty-handed. So Evans will play out the season in Memphis’ race toward the bottom, and he will hit free agency next summer.
Jazz: Understandably, the Jazz did not want to shell out big money this summer for guard Rodney Hood, who will be a restricted free agent. But the return on Hood, who was the 23rd pick in 2014 and is averaging 16.8 points, was disappointing. Essentially, all the Jazz got in return was forward Jae Crowder, who is a good value and a contributor, but not on Hood’s level for production.