Cavs: Pros and cons of trading away Larry Nance Jr.

The Cleveland Cavaliers got a few headlines late this week with a trade that involved sending veteran and long-time Cavs player Larry Nance Jr. to the Chicago Bulls, and then was shipped to the Portland Trailblazers when the move became a three-team trade.

In return, the Cavs added a big man, another 7 footer in Lauri Markkanen who came over from the Chicago Bulls. The relatively young former Bull, now a Cavs player, has more of a knack to put up long-distance threes and would lead to some interesting Cavs lineups as the season opens this fall.

The Cavs lose one big man and gain another. What is the balance in the end?

With the departure of Nance Jr. and the new pickup of Markkanen, the Cavs are losing a player, a leader of the Cavs and a good defender on the floor. But in exchange they are getting a very good shooter and big man who can extend defenses and create good spacing on the floor.

Let’s dig a little deeper and analyze the pros and cons of the move for the Cavs, which will help us evaluate whether this was a good move by the team.