OrlandO wrote:ralphie9898 wrote:OrlandO wrote:Cavs didn't think they were trading for a mid to late lottery pick when they made that trade. It has lost value to them. Maybe by the end of the season or draft lottery it regains value, but as of now it's not what they had hoped for. Obviously if they can luck into trading the pick for a star they'd do it, but that's easier said than done and the deadline is fast approaching.
Cleveland has a major role player problem right now. Crowder and Smith are struggling starters while their bench is full of 36 year olds and players who have declined or can't be relied on for one reason or another. Fournier and Simmons are significant upgrades to that mess. We already know LeBron really likes Simmons and I'm pertty sure he'd rather play with Fournier than Smith/Shump combined at this point. When you've already got a superstar and a couple co-stars, sometimes all you need is to upgrade the 4th, 5th, 6th, etc options to make things click. I don't know if this trade would translate to the results they need to really compete in the finals and/or convince lebron to stick around another year, but it does improve those odds compared to holding onto the pick and using it on a rookie who will need to be developed.
Yeah the pick hasn't been what they have hoped for. But that doesn't mean it has less value. It is still a mid lottery pick(and with the lottery you never know where it could end up). This is a deep draft and a guy like Bamba or Porter or Sexton could fall there. And yes the deadline is fast approaching but that doesn't mean you just settle for any trade. The pick still holds its value and they can just keep it rather then trading it away for a deal that doesn't help them much if at all in keeping Lebron. They would have to trade it for a star in order to help sway Lebron from leaving. I hear what you guys are saying but I just don't think this helps them that much and that Fournier and Simmons give them that much more. Maybe a little but they still have to get through Boston and I doubt they beat Golden State. So I don't see them trading that pick for that. Plus it doesn't help their cap picture as they would be trading for longer contracts. I think this is just Magic fans wanting to get another lottery pick and are trying hard to get that. But you usually don't get high lottery picks unless you have a star(or a potential one) to trade. I don't think we want to trade Isaac or Gordon so I just don't think we have much if any chance of getting a high lottery pick. And the season isn't over and Brooklyn could still fall further down/. They can still wait and trade it after the season up until the draft and can even trade whoever they pick after the draft.
If it was so easy to get a star with a mid lottery pick we'd have a super team right now. There certainly is a difference in value right now between potential top 3 picks and 6-10 picks... deep draft doesn't mean picks 2 and 3 are valued the same as picks 6 and 7. It's now tied for 8th pick btw. Doesn't mean the Cavs can't hit the jackpot with it in a trade, but the pick losing some weight makes that harder. Of course they don't have to trade it, but they'd have to strongly consider it because they're currently still in their championship window and sitting on the pick doesn't improve their odds at all. JR Smith averages 30 mpg as a starter and has had 13 games of scoring 3 pts or less this season... he is not a good starter for them. Shumpert is a bum. I think Fournier/Simmons would give that team a bigger boost than you're thinking. If the contending Cavs prioritize upgrading their team and pleasing lebron more than drafting a player mid-lottery, which is certainly a possibility, then non-star trade packages like this have a chance. Whether such a trade actually produces for them and gets lebron to stay in town doesn't matter... there are no refunds.
And I don't think Cleveland has a current championship window. Sure they very well could make it to the Finals but I don't see them beating Golden State even with that trade. Role players are nice but when it comes to the Finals they simply can't match up with the Warriors.
so why not trade it in an attempt to keep Lebron. I think this is a quite plausible trade in that sense.
