Cleveland Cavaliers: Evaluating the 3-team trade with Rockets and Kings

Marquese Chriss

The 6’10” forward from the University of Washington is one player who has yet to make an impact at the NBA level. Chriss was averaging just 1.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per game this season for the Houston Rockets and was not a key rotation player despite multiple injuries opening up a path for him to gain minutes.

Chriss is certainly a development project. At 21 years of age, he has plenty of room to grow as a player. However, he has shown flashes of potential.

For starters, Chriss seems like he has the athletic tools necessary to be an above-average defender and shot-blocker in the NBA. In his two seasons with the Phoenix Suns, Chriss averaged 4.9 rebounds and nearly 1.0 blocks a game in just 21.3 minutes of playing time. Sadly, once he was traded to Houston, his minutes plummeted to just 6.5 minutes a night.

Perhaps in his new home of Cleveland, he will thrive when given a bigger opportunity to perform. HIs talents as a shot-blocker would be more than welcomed by the Cavaliers, who are currently giving up the eighth-most points per game in the league.