NBA Trade Grades: 3-Team Deal Involving Dion Waiters

Cleveland Cavaliers

So let me get this straight. The two biggest problems for the Cavs this season have been A) chemistry and B) defense/rim protection. Getting rid of Dion Waiters makes sense…until you realize Cleveland isn’t getting a single big man in return and has replaced their radioactive sixth man with the original prototype — J.R. Smith — that his game is based on.

I like the Iman Shumpert pickup, but getting rid of Waiters was supposed to net the Cavs a rim protector, especially with Anderson Varejao out for the season. Is picking up Samuel Dalembert off waivers as good as this will get?

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Shumpert will provide some much-needed perimeter defense and who knows? Maybe Smith will be helpful off the bench for a team that doesn’t need distract- okay, I’m sorry, I can’t say it with a straight face. I’m not sure what general manager

David Griffin is thinking here, but it’s certainly not a move that turns the Cavs into title contenders.

The Cavs are also getting a first-round pick from OKC, but it’s heavily protected, so really, what more is there to say about this deal? Time will tell, but for now this deal doesn’t really move the needle very much.

Grade: C-

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