Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Cleveland Dengs the bell in deal with Bulls

The Cleveland Cavaliers had time constraints in moving the cap needle for Andrew Bynum and they looked to be gaining Pau Gasol from the Lakers in the "save us from the luxury cap derby" for the contract of Bynum.
Cleveland did move the contract of Bynum before the bell that would have forced the Cavaliers to either release Bynum and receive no assets for him or pay him another six million dollars in an attempt to gain something for him.
However,it was not the Lakers that finally pulled the trigger and it is not Pau Gasol that is coming to Cleveland,it's Luol Deng that is since the Chicago Bulls decided to avoid the luxury tax and send the talented small forward to Lake Erie.

Cleveland will be sending Bynum (who will be released to save the Bulls more dough) along with three draft picks-Sacramento future 1st rounder from the JJ Hickson trade (lottery protected and if the Kings don't make playoffs becomes a 2) and two second round picks that originally belonged to Portland.
Chicago also has the right to swap first rounders with Cleveland in 2015,if the Cavaliers are not in the lottery.

Deng brings the Cavaliers the most talented small forward that the team has seen since the departure of LeBron James and easily the most complete player that Cleveland has seen period since then when you consider his skills on the defensive end.
Deng has no weaknesses in his game and might be maturing (at 28) into the type of player that could be a franchise leader.

SO,what's the problem-just one . Deng is a free agent at the end of the year and could be a rental player.
By making the deal,the Cavaliers could offer him a max contract that they could not offer him had they not had his rights,but that still does mean that he will re-up with a less than compelling team (at this point anyway).

Deng will instantly improve the Cavaliers and might be the player that gets them into the playoffs,therefore saving the job of mediocre general manager Chris Grant before the free agency period with the decision of you know who and the talent filled draft.
I am more than fine with the cost (essentially second rounders) to take the chance to land a player of Deng's skills,but Chris Grant might be putting his job on the line on Deng putting this team in playoff action and then the ability to keep him in Cleveland.



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