The Cleveland Cavaliers conducted a relatively quiet offseason. They made one trade to rotate veterans on their bench, made a single draft pick and their only move in free agency was to re-sign their center. Careful, modest moves for the Cavs.
That all changed Thursday when the Cavs leaped into the fray, seizing the national headlines during the quietest portion of the offseason. A classic “Woj Bomb” announced to the world that the last meaningful free agent was now on his way out of Chi-Town and into Believeland.
Cleveland is acquiring Chicago restricted free agent F Lauri Markkanen on a four-year, $67M deal in a sign-and-trade, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 27, 2021
Shrewd fans of the Cavs knew that they could not afford to sign Lauri Markkanen to a deal that large with their remaining cap exceptions, so to acquire the former Chicago Bulls big they would have to be sending out salary. The details came a few minutes later from the mirror-Woj, Shams Charania.
Bulls: Derrick Jones Jr., Portland protected first-rounder, Denver protected 2023 second-rounder
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 27, 2021
Cavaliers: Lauri Markkanen
Trail Blazers: Larry Nance Jr. https://t.co/slpHsB08cm
The second-round pick now in Chicago was the Cavaliers’ contribution to Chicago’s draft equity, acquired in the JaVale McGee trade last season. Veteran forward and fan favorite Larry Nance Jr. will be heading to Portland, and Markkanen will suit up for the Cavs next season.
As we all recover from the unexpected move and process the various moving pieces, here are three quick reactions to the deal.
Cavs: Instant rections to the Lauri Markkanen sign-and-trade: 1. Nance’s defense will be missed
Larry Nance Jr. was without question the best defensive player on the team last year, and was going to be in the mix for their best defensive player this time around as well. The son of former Cavs legend Larry Nance was a versatile forward able of sliding up or down the roster as needed.
Nance had the foot speed and reactionary reflexes to switch easily onto perimeter players, and he often did defend opposing wings in certain lineups. His best spot was battling with bigs, where he was strong enough to hold his own but could use his speed to generate steals or race across the paint in rotation.
Lauri Markkanen is a talented player, but he is nowhere near the level of defender that Nance was. Without knowing how long it will take first-round pick Evan Mobley to acclimate to the NBA game, there is no player on this roster well suited to defend large wings and combo forwards at a high level.