Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 benefits of reported recent trade

#3: Cleveland gets a shot blocker and more future picks

Henson has been banged up this year; he’s only appeared in 14 out of 23 possible games and has played the second-lowest amount of minutes per game of his career, with just 13.4. Currently, his timetable to return from a reported torn ligament in his left wrist (per a team announcement on November 16th, and h/t Jordan Treske of FanSided’s Behind The Buck Pass) is unclear, and I wouldn’t expect him rushed back.

When Henson is in, though, he presents solid shot blocking and his 7-foot-6 wingspan should alter even more shots in the paint. He’s averaged 1.5 blocks in 20.1 minutes per game in his career. With Cleveland already having Tristan Thompson, Larry Nance Jr. and Ante Zizic on the roster, though, I’m not sure if Henson isn’t dealt again by the Cavaliers, anyhow. His contract, like Dellavedova, is up after the 2019-2020 season, per Spotrac.

The future draft pick stash is the key prize here for the Cleveland Cavaliers and general manager Koby Altman. Recently, the Cavs traded Kyle Korver to the Utah Jazz and got back the previously mentioned Burks, and two second-round picks in 2020 and 2021 (per Wojnarowksi). The Cavaliers are doing just what we as fans want them to do right now, in taking on not the greatest contracts, but also stockpiling assets by dealing away veteran players (such as Korver and Hill) that were just taking minutes away from developmental pieces.

Wojnarowski noted that following the deal.

The Cavs are doing what they should be doing right now.

We’ve really harped on it for a while here at KJG, and Altman keeps the train moving forward. That’s all one can really ask for, and embracing the salary dump-for-picks philosophy gets a big thumbs up from me.