The past couple of hours have been dominated by the massive blockbuster trade for James Harden, and then almost right after the Rockets traded the newly acquired Caris Levert to the Pacers for Victor Oladipo. The Harden trade was a massive three team deal, and while the Nets and Rockets are the headliners it seems like the Cleveland Cavaliers got a major steal in this trade. The Cavs are only giving a Milwaukee first rounder that is likely going to be at the end of the draft and an injured Dante Exum. In return the Cavs got a young franchise center in Jarret Allen and a young rotation player in Taurean Prince.
What the Cavs gave up, and what they got
The Cavs had minimal involvement in this trade, and that is what makes their return seem even more impressive. They gave a player and a pick, and in return got a player they can build their franchise around. Looking first at what the Cavs gave up, Dante Exum is still expected to miss time and while he has been a decent backup point guard for the Jazz the Cavs already have two solid guards in Darius Garland and Collin Sexton. The second thing that the Cavs gave up was 2022 unprotected first rounder from Milwaukee, and after the re-signing of Giannis Antetekumpo that pick will most likely stay high in draft order. So in total the Cavs gave up a decent backup and a projected late first round pick. In return, the Cavs got a young center that is averaging double digits in points and rebounds. Jarrett Allen is a rim running center that can lock down the paint on the defensive side of the floor for the Cavs. Most importantly, Allen fits with the timeline of the Cavs who are trying to get young talented players and that is exactly what they got with Allen. Up until this point it seemed like the Cavs would be resigning the very productive but 27 years old Andre Drummond, but now it seems like the Cavs can pass on resigning Drummond to an expensive deal and instead focus on the development of a young player such as Allen.
They also got a solid forward in Taurean Prince who will be fighting for minutes with Larry Nance Jr. and Isaac Okoro. For the minimal amount that the Cavs put into this trade, it seems almost criminal what they got in return.
How the Cavs fared compared to the rest
While the Brooklyn Nets got a superstar in James Harden, the Rockets got a boatload of picks and Victor Oladipo, and the Pacers got Caris Levert it still seems like every other team involved in this trade got fair value for the assets they are trading. The Cavs did not get a superstar like the Nets, but they also didn’t give up their entire future of picks. The team that we could compare the Cavs to the most would be the Pacers and even they gave up an All-Star type player in Victor Oladipo. The Pacers got Caris Levert and a second rounder in return, and while Levert and Allen are both entirely different players we could set them both on around the same level as young and improving franchise players. Now looking at what the Cavs gave up compared to the Pacers for around the same level player, it shows how much of a steal the Cavs really got in this deal.
The Cavs are building for the future and after making a super move for Allen, it seems like this team is moving in the right direction. They have a talented backcourt of Sexton and Garland and now it seems like they have found a running mate for their guards.
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