Stein: Mozgov Traded To Cleveland For 2 First Round Picks

[Kingshadaine]

I think this is a smart move from the Cavs, it's not 'really' two first rounders due to the protections involved, unlikely to be anything of value.

He's some rim protection which is an upgrade on the zero they currently have.

The Waiters for Shumpert/JR Smith move is more of aquestion mark to me. I am far from a Waiters fan and he wasn't a great fit but Shumperts defense is actually pretty below average nowadays as he gambles too much and Smith is an absoloute cancer. It's a massive risk and I would have thought Waiters could have brought back a more solid veteran 3 and D guy.

How is it not 2 firsts? Do you think OKC wont make the playoffs in the next 3 years? The Memphis pick never turns into a a 2nd. If Marc leaves next summer then that is a great pick.

Lol the memphis pick is 1-15 protected only this year. Nuggets will draft in the low 20's in the upcoming draft with that pick.

The memphis pick is top 5 protected and 15-30 protected this year and next year

[Kingshadaine]

Jusuf Nurkic time! Dude has been playing exceptionally well, but dude is so freakin cocky lol.

Look at his reaction everytime he makes a basket and him already talking smack to Marc Gasol like he's nothing @ 1:02

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QcpvoF3LnY[/youtube]

I'd rather any player be a dick rather than a p@%@!

His shot looks very fluid, looks like he can be a good shooter/free throw shooter

[The Penguin]

While I'm 99.5% sure Lebron can't/won't leave Cleveland again, if he and Love walk after this season he can successfully pull off the ultimate troll job on Gilbert. The Cavs have traded away Wiggins, Bennett, Waiters, Zeller, Karasev, and 3 1sts for a couple of guys who are not signed beyond this year and who could just walk away, Timofy Mozgov and JR Smith while giving Varejao a very generous extension.

[RoyceDa59]

I don't see how one could say the Cavs didn't overpay for Mozgov.

The Rockets only got one 1st rounder for Asik. The Nuggets just got two for the lesser player.

Different time, different buyer, different scenario, but the Nugget's saw the Cavs coming and bent them over.

As i said, the Cavs get their guy and at the end of the day have the center they craved, but in a vacuum, they paid a lot for an average center.

When it comes to draft picks its all about quality not quantity. The two 1st rounders going to Denver in this Mozgov trade are from Memphis and OKC - two teams that are destined for high seeds in the playoffs for the next couple year.

In the Asik trade, Houston got New Orleans 1st, which is a far more valuable pick as it could very well land in the lottery.

Either way, the Cavs had to make this move and Mozgov is on a great salary for this year and next (team option). Very strong move from the Cavs.

[te887848]

The Cavs aren't making the Finals.

[Nuggets_Talk]

I'm okay with the trade. The two picks we sent have about 2000 conditions attached to them and the OK one will end up being two 2nd round picks.....

Now all the Cav's need to do is sign one of the bigs out there to a vet min contract to give them 10 minutes off the bench.

[Nuggets_Talk]

I'm okay with the trade. The two picks we sent have about 2000 conditions attached to them and the OK one will end up being two 2nd round picks.....

Now all the Cav's need to do is sign one of the bigs out there to a vet min contract to give them 10 minutes off the bench.

The Memphis pick protections are Actually making the pick better

The okc pick will be a first

[Nuggets_Talk]

I think this is a smart move from the Cavs, it's not 'really' two first rounders due to the protections involved, unlikely to be anything of value.

He's some rim protection which is an upgrade on the zero they currently have.

The Waiters for Shumpert/JR Smith move is more of aquestion mark to me. I am far from a Waiters fan and he wasn't a great fit but Shumperts defense is actually pretty below average nowadays as he gambles too much and Smith is an absoloute cancer. It's a massive risk and I would have thought Waiters could have brought back a more solid veteran 3 and D guy.

How is it not 2 firsts? Do you think OKC wont make the playoffs in the next 3 years? The Memphis pick never turns into a a 2nd. If Marc leaves next summer then that is a great pick.

Lol the memphis pick is 1-15 protected only this year. Nuggets will draft in the low 20's in the upcoming draft with that pick.

Either I misread the protection on the Memphis pick or you are totally wrong.

[Skip2MY]

I understand the sentiment of everyone thinking they overpaid but this deal isn't an entity in itself. Denver sold high, likely at Mosgov's highest value and Cle did this deal in two parts. Essentially Cle traded Dion Waiters and 1st for Iman Shumpert, Jr Smith, Timofey Mosgov, and possibly Sam Dalembert(see what happens when he clears waivers, likely cut instead of traded so Cavs could keep their DPE but thats a risk they were willing tot take)... Cavs didn't essentially trade two 1sts, they found their 1st in the thunder deal. Getting those 3, possibly 4 players makes the deal make more sense. And if you think they should have kept one of those instead of Mosgov... I don't see it. This looks like a good deal to me. Honestly all 4 teams won from both deals looking at it that way.

[The Rebel]

I don't see how one could say the Cavs didn't overpay for Mozgov.

The Rockets only got one 1st rounder for Asik. The Nuggets just got two for the lesser player.

Different time, different buyer, different scenario, but the Nugget's saw the Cavs coming and bent them over.

As i said, the Cavs get their guy and at the end of the day have the center they craved, but in a vacuum, they paid a lot for an average center.

When it comes to draft picks its all about quality not quantity. The two 1st rounders going to Denver in this Mozgov trade are from Memphis and OKC - two teams that are destined for high seeds in the playoffs for the next couple year.

In the Asik trade, Houston got New Orleans 1st, which is a far more valuable pick as it could very well land in the lottery.

Either way, the Cavs had to make this move and Mozgov is on a great salary for this year and next (team option). Very strong move from the Cavs.

Maybe you missed it this year but the Thunder had some major injuries to start the season and are looking like they will be a 7th or 8th seed in the Western conference this year, meaning the Nuggets get a pick right around 19-22. (where they have had pretty good luck over the last few years)

The Grizzlies pick has some crazy protections, they will keep the pick this year, next year if they resign Gasol (which I think is likely) they will probably keep it as well. The following year it is only top 5 protected, with Randolph's decline, and Memphis not exactly being a free agent destination, than you never know what can happen. Hell 2 years ago the Nuggets won 57 games, with a young core and hope for the future, now with a bad coach and injuries they will be lucky to win 30 games this year.

Fact is getting 2 1st round picks for an average starting center is a pretty good haul, especially since many Denver fans were already calling for Nurkic to get his job, and if McGee ever does get healthy than you never know Mozgov could have lost what's left of his confidence and ended up right back at the end of the bench.

[Magic24]

I think this is a smart move from the Cavs, it's not 'really' two first rounders due to the protections involved, unlikely to be anything of value.

He's some rim protection which is an upgrade on the zero they currently have.

The Waiters for Shumpert/JR Smith move is more of aquestion mark to me. I am far from a Waiters fan and he wasn't a great fit but Shumperts defense is actually pretty below average nowadays as he gambles too much and Smith is an absoloute cancer. It's a massive risk and I would have thought Waiters could have brought back a more solid veteran 3 and D guy.

How is it not 2 firsts? Do you think OKC wont make the playoffs in the next 3 years? The Memphis pick never turns into a a 2nd. If Marc leaves next summer then that is a great pick.

Lol the memphis pick is 1-15 protected only this year. Nuggets will draft in the low 20's in the upcoming draft with that pick.

Lol, incorrect. Please actually look it up before you spew such garbage.

[thinktellectual]

Am I the only one who thinks they overpaid for Mozgov and that they look desperate ?
I don't think they have any assets left to improve over the next 2-3 years, which means that if Love doesn't sign with them over the summer, they'll be capped out and virtually out of the contender discussion for at least 2-3 years.

[Kurosawa0]

Am I the only one who thinks they overpaid for Mozgov and that they look desperate ?
I don't think they have any assets left to improve over the next 2-3 years, which means that if Love doesn't sign with them over the summer, they'll be capped out and virtually out of the contender discussion for at least 2-3 years.

They still have their own 1st rounder (Will actually probably end up being Chicago's pick, but that doesn't really matter) and Haywood's $10 million non-guaranteed contract this summer. That'll give them another trade chip to get someone else. I actually think getting basically Shumpert and Mosgov for basically Waiters and a 1st is brilliant. They'll have to pay through the teeth, but by filling two of their biggest needs already Cleveland will have a shot to upgrade either position this summer or fill out their bench.

If that's not enough to build a championship team around what they have already nothing will do it.

[nomansland]

I really don't get why people are down on this trade for Cleveland.

Moz is not a perfect player but he works hard and accepts his role. And Blatt understands how to use him. With a fairly stacked roster at the other spots, all you need from him is 30 minutes of interior D and some rebounds.

I'm glad Denver got the picks and maybe Cleveland slightly overpaid but come on, we're looking at OKC's pick somewhere in the low 20's and a Memphis pick that likely isn't worth a damn until 2017. If Cleveland's going to make a run this year they needed a center and Moz will be adequate. He'll also shine once in a while.

[panthermark]

I really don't get why people are down on this trade for Cleveland.

Moz is not a perfect player but he works hard and accepts his role. And Blatt understands how to use him. With a fairly stacked roster at the other spots, all you need from him is 30 minutes of interior D and some rebounds.

I'm glad Denver got the picks and maybe Cleveland slightly overpaid but come on, we're looking at OKC's pick somewhere in the low 20's and a Memphis pick that likely isn't worth a damn until 2017. If Cleveland's going to make a run this year they needed a center and Moz will be adequate. He'll also shine once in a while.

People are down on it becaue they hate Bron.

Yes, Cleveland overpaid...but helped fill holes that were in dire need of attention on a "win now" team. I think Cleveland did what they had to do and they came out OK (better team now than they were 48 hours ago).

BTW, I hate Bron.

[nomansland]

I really don't get why people are down on this trade for Cleveland.

Moz is not a perfect player but he works hard and accepts his role. And Blatt understands how to use him. With a fairly stacked roster at the other spots, all you need from him is 30 minutes of interior D and some rebounds.

I'm glad Denver got the picks and maybe Cleveland slightly overpaid but come on, we're looking at OKC's pick somewhere in the low 20's and a Memphis pick that likely isn't worth a damn until 2017. If Cleveland's going to make a run this year they needed a center and Moz will be adequate. He'll also shine once in a while.

People are down on it becaue they hate Bron.

Yes, Cleveland overpaid...but helped fill holes that were in dire need of attention on a "win now" team. I think Cleveland did what they had to do and they came out OK (better team now than they were 48 hours ago).

BTW, I hate Bron.

I was going to suggest that LeBron hate was the underlying motive but refrained.

[mg]

In a vacuum I would say giving up 2 first round picks (1 of which could be a potential lottery pick) was an overpay for Mozgov.

When you look at the big picture and examine both deals they made this week they basically dealt Waiters and the Memphis pick for Mozgov, Shumpert, and Smith. They may have patched all their so called needs by just giving up 2 tangible assets.

[Thorn]

I really don't get why people are down on this trade for Cleveland.

Moz is not a perfect player but he works hard and accepts his role. And Blatt understands how to use him. With a fairly stacked roster at the other spots, all you need from him is 30 minutes of interior D and some rebounds.

I'm glad Denver got the picks and maybe Cleveland slightly overpaid but come on, we're looking at OKC's pick somewhere in the low 20's and a Memphis pick that likely isn't worth a damn until 2017. If Cleveland's going to make a run this year they needed a center and Moz will be adequate. He'll also shine once in a while.

People are down on it becaue they hate Bron.

Yes, Cleveland overpaid...but helped fill holes that were in dire need of attention on a "win now" team. I think Cleveland did what they had to do and they came out OK (better team now than they were 48 hours ago).

BTW, I hate Bron.

I hear you, but two first round picks? For a guy we just threw in?

[jbk1234]

Am I the only one who thinks they overpaid for Mozgov and that they look desperate ?
I don't think they have any assets left to improve over the next 2-3 years, which means that if Love doesn't sign with them over the summer, they'll be capped out and virtually out of the contender discussion for at least 2-3 years.

They did overpay and they do look desperate because once Andy went down with an injury, they were desperate. That said, a desperate team paying a premium is not necessarily a horrible thing. It's easy to say that the Cavs should have let the losses pile up until the trade deadline but there would have been a pretty serious cost in doing so. They need time to come together as a team. They also don't need the negativity or drama that would accompany all those losses. LBJ and Shump are still injured and out. Their perimeter defense is really shaky and didn't get better by trading Waiters. With Kevin Love or TT playing center it was a lay up drill. They needed to stop the bleeding and they did.

[oikosnomos]

Yup, we disagree. I've never seen a 28 year old guy like Mozgov that has never been a starter before fetch two first round picks.

The Varajao signing is part of the common refrain of Cleveland doing something today that they could have done tomorrow.

Everything you're saying is the consistent "We HAD to make this trade, or else it wouldn't have gotten done." That's not necessarily a good reason, winner's curse and all that.

Really, it wouldn't shock me at all if this was more about making LeBron happy and being worried about him leaving again rather than making the best basketball moves. It's been a common refrain everywhere Lebron has been, wouldn't surprise me if it's happening again.

Are you trolling me? Mozgov has started in a 115 of his 247 games. He is a starter. He is in the highest value positions, he is in his prime and he under cheap contract. Keep saying two first round picks like they are in the lottery. Fair price. I don't know what you even mean when you say "a guy like Mozgov", like that description offers any insight to anyone. It has no inherent meaning.

And I am baffled by the "doing what they could have done tomorrow" statement. If you need a wing defender and a 5, and you can acquire two of the most quality ones that are going to be available, why are we waiting?

You also assume that every deal on the table now will be available later. And again, why would the Cavs wait to pull the trigger on these needs? They need to develop chemistry, waiting for waiting sake.

Of course they didn't have to do these trades, but they are fair and they fill needs that the team had to address.

Then you go on to blame Lebron for everything, which leads me to believe you just don't like Lebron teams, which is fine. It's just affecting you judgment and ability to look at anything clearly. Your only rebuttal for why the trades weren't fair is that the Cavs should have waited (not sure if that is even true).