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One-on-one: Who won the NBA trade deadline?

Cavs

BY JACK SIMZYK

After a wild 2018 NBA trade deadline, one team came out as the clear winner: the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers made three trades acquiring four players and a future second-round draft pick, as well as trading away six players and a first round pick. The Cavaliers were having a rough season, and management and fans alike knew that they would need an overhaul if they wanted to make the Finals or re-sign LeBron when he becomes a free agent this summer.

The Cavs stepped up and made the changes they needed. They went from having one of the oldest rosters in the NBA to being one of the younger teams in the league. They dumped players that weren’t working out with the team such as Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder and Derrick Rose. They also traded Dwyane Wade, but they gained a second rounder for him. They traded Iman Shumpert and Channing Frye, who just weren’t performing to the team’s standard.

The Cavaliers gained a new starting point guard in George Hill, who will take Thomas’ spot. They received Jordan Clarkson, a fantastic option off the bench who is only 25 and adds youth to the team. They also acquired Rodney Hood and Larry Nance Jr.. Either of them could fill Kevin Love’s starting spot while he is injured and either can provide great bench depth.

We got our first look at this new Cleveland squad on Sunday and they looked solid in their 121-99 rout of the Celtics. If the team keeps playing the way it did against Boston, the Cavaliers have a much better chance of making the Finals than they did with their previous group. Also, if the new players mesh well and win with LeBron, the Cavaliers will have a better chance of him wanting to re-sign with the team this summer.

Even if LeBron doesn’t return to the Cavs next season, they never traded the Brooklyn Nets first rounder that they received in the Kyrie Irving trade. The Nets will likely have a lottery pick, so the Cavs will be able to build around a future star from the draft this summer. After the deadline, it seems the Cavaliers are back in shape and ready to make another championship run.

 

Lakers

BY ROLAND SOMORIN

 

The Los Angeles Lakers were one of the few teams that had an extremely positive trade deadline. The Lakers acquired a former All-Star and freed up a lot of salary cap space to attract free agents this summer.

The Lakers traded away Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson to the Cavaliers for Cleveland’s first round pick and Isaiah Thomas. Doing so added an extra $34 million in salary cap space to the Lakers. The team is the winner of the trade deadline because the extra $34 million leaves contracts available for superstars who will become free agents this summer. Some free agents include players with heavy Lakers connections LeBron James and Paul George.

The Lakers also have earned what will be a late first-round pick, but they can still add some depth to their roster for a relatively low cost.

The Lakers’ addition of Isaiah Thomas can prove to be a secret weapon if the team is able to find some winning form and make a late push for the playoffs. Last season, Thomas helped the Celtics reach the conference finals with multiple phenomenal fourth quarter performances that earned him the nickname “Mr. Fourth Quarter.” If the Lakers can trust Thomas with a starting position and inspire those kinds of performances again, they will undoubtedly have a player who can carry them into the playoffs.

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