Breaking: Cleveland Cavaliers trade Isaiah Thomas to LA Lakers for Clarkson, Nance
The Cleveland Cavaliers finally made a trade. As many assumed, they dealt Isaiah Thomas to the Los Angeles Lakers for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr.
They’ve done it! The Cleveland Cavaliers have made a trade.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Cleveland Cavaliers are sending Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye, and their first-round pick to the Los Angeles Lakers for Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson. On the surface, this is a phenomenal deal for Cleveland. Their first-round pick is also protected according to ESPN.
Cleveland is sending Isaiah Thomas and Channing Frye to the Lakers for Clarkson and Nance, league source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 8, 2018
The Cleveland Cavaliers were looking for a long-term solution, and while they might not believe that Clarkson and Nance Jr. can lead the team to win championships, they most likely believe that these two plus LeBron can do damage, especially in the East.
As for Clarkson, he has two more seasons left on his deal. He’s averaging 14.5 points per game and should either be able to start, virtually making LeBron James the first unit’s point guard, or be an excellent playmaker off the bench. Clarkson can score, and the Cavaliers will crave that.
To be fair, I think the Cavaliers are just glad to get rid of their 5-foot-9 point guard. Thomas is great for his size, but his defense is just too poor for Cleveland to make a deep playoff run.
As for Nance Jr., while he might not be a dominant rim protector, he will suffice. He certainly has the ability to get above the rim with his ferocious dunks that have at times been the highlight of the Lakers season.
Nance is averaging a career-high 8.6 points per game and a career-high 6.8 rebounds per game. To add to both those, Nance is shooting over 60% from the field. With Nance being locked up till after the 2018-2019 season, the Cavaliers will have sufficient time to make him feel comfortable and want to build a permanent home in Cleveland.
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Ultimately, this trade a win all around. We will have more analysis coming later as the trade deadline is just hours away.