INDEPENDENCE: The Cavaliers entered the NBA’s trading season just two games out of the playoffs, but that had little bearing on the team’s long-term vision.
The Cavaliers devised a plan after LeBron James left to rebuild their franchise slowly and through the draft, which is why they traded away one of their best players on Thursday for a first-round draft pick and a little draft ingenuity.
The Cavs dealt Ramon Sessions and Christian Eyenga to the Los Angeles Lakers for Luke Walton and Jason Kapono, but two separate forces were driving the move. The Cavs were aggressively searching for another first-round draft pick and they wanted to get value for Sessions, who can become a free agent after the season.
Without their backup point guard — arguably the best reserve point guard in the league — it will be difficult for the Cavs to maintain this pace and make the playoffs. Sessions was the Cavs’ second-best guard and often on the court alongside Kyrie Irving at the end of games.
But despite the Eastern Conference standings, this is still a flawed roster in desperate need of more talent. So the Cavs made the unorthodox move of trading away one of their best players despite the playoffs being so tantalizingly close. In fact, Cavs General Manager Chris Grant was quick to acknowledge that making the playoffs had no impact on his thinking entering the trade deadline.
“We’re charged with making the best decisions for the franchise short and long term,” Grant said. “The ability to get a first-round pick and an option for a higher pick the following year was the right decision for us.”
The Cavs will get the Lakers’ (lottery protected) first-round pick in this summer’s draft, which means if the season ended today, they would have four of the top 40 picks in the draft. They have two first-round picks in each of the next two drafts, since they already own the rights to the Miami Heat’s pick in 2013 as part of the sign-and-trade for James.
In a bit of a twist, Grant negotiated the right to flip the Heat’s pick with the Lakers’ pick in the 2013 draft. Technically, the Cavs have the right to flip the “least desirable” of their two first-round picks with the Lakers’ pick, essentially meaning they will have the highest two picks among the draft positions held by the Cavs, Lakers and Heat in 2013.
Grant negotiated a similar clause into James’ sign-and-trade for this season. It’s moot now, but in the event the Heat collapsed this season, the Cavs had the right to trade places with them in this summer’s draft.
Now that’s true next summer with the Lakers, and there is no protection for the Lakers. In the unlikely event the Lakers fall apart next season and wind up in the lottery, the Cavs would take their pick regardless of where it lands. They merely swap it out and give the Heat’s selection to the Lakers.
Sessions has been a career backup, and at 25 wanted an opportunity to start. He averaged 17.8 points and 11 assists in four starts this season and averaged 14.8 points and 6.4 assists as a starter during his two seasons in Cleveland. Sessions was acquired during the summer of 2010, along with Ryan Hollins, in exchange for Delonte West. Now Grant has flipped him for a first-round pick.
With Irving already in place, Sessions wasn’t going to start in Cleveland, making it likely he was going to leave after the season and look elsewhere. Grant was quick to point out Thursday that at least 13 teams — nearly half the league — will have significant cap space this summer.
“I hope Ramon plays well and makes the most of his opportunities,” Grant said. “For us, it was pick certainty.”
The Cavs still have an open roster spot and could use another point guard, but coach Byron Scott said on his radio show Thursday night the team is likely to re-sign Manny Harris.
Daniel Gibson and Anthony Parker both have the ability to play the point in short stretches. Harris has already signed two 10-day contracts with the Cavs, so if they re-sign him now, it will be for guaranteed money for the rest of the season.
In Walton, the Cavs are essentially taking on his $6.1 million contract for next season. Kapono, 31, is a free agent this summer.
Walton, also 31, is in his ninth season. He has averaged 4.9 points and 2.9 rebounds while battling injuries throughout his career. He has only played nine games this season with a bad back.
Kapono was originally drafted by the Cavs in 2003. He is a 43-percent career shooter on 3-pointers, but is just 8-of-27 on 3-pointers (29.6 percent) this season.
Eyenga was the Cavs’ first-round pick in 2009, but never materialized. He played in six games this season and spent two stints in the Development League.
Disregarding the lottery, the Cavs presently hold the eighth, 25th, 33rd and 38th picks this summer.
“There are more chips in the game,” Grant said. “The more assets we have to move around the board, the better.”
Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at http://cavs.ohio.com. Follow him on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ. Follow ABJ sports on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sports.abj.
