Cleveland needed to make roster space for Nae'Qwan Tomlin, who had exceeded his usage on a two-way contract after the trade that brought Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder to the Cavaliers.
Lonzo Ball was expected to be the replacement for Ty Jerome as the third guard, and with a questionable health record, keeping him on the floor was the concern.
Ball stayed relatively healthy but didn't play well, averaging less than five points per game in thirty-five games
Considering the roster spot and the attempt to continue to get out of the second apron of the salary cap, Ball and his ten-million-dollar cap number were the easiest place to cut.
But who would be willing to take Ball and for what?
The answer was the Utah Jazz, and nothing, as Cleveland literally traded two second-round picks with Ball for nothing but cap relief.
The two second-rounders leave Cleveland without those bargaining chips for years, as Cleveland doesn't have a second rounder until the 2030s, but it was needed to try to move off the apron and make space for a more productive player.
Utah is expected to waive Ball, with Charlotte and Washington expected to have interest in signing him.
Cleveland wanted to keep Tomlin, a young player who is exceeding expectations, and didn't have the time or cap room to nurture Ball and hope he showed improvement.
Not every trade works out, and Cleveland cut their losses before they became too large.
Sometimes, that's the way the ball bounces.
No comments:
Post a Comment