NBA Trade Grades: Grading three-team Lauri Markkanen sign-and-trade

NBA Trade Grades for the Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers finally got on the board with a deal for a player not already on their roster, and it was… this one? The Cavs have made three moves of note this offseason; drafting Evan Mobley, re-signing Jarrett Allen to a four-year, $100 million deal, and this sign-and-trade to acquire Lauri Markkanen on a four-year, $67 million deal.

These players aren’t exactly redundant, but this trio of bigs being the priority for the Cavs brass is a bit on the bizarre side. It’s also worth noting that Larry Nance was one of the best Cavalier players last season, at least when he was able to stay healthy. Moving off of him was a clear indication that the Cavs are happy to go in a different direction.

Cleveland has a fascination with bigs in an era where their usefulness tends to hinge upon special or elite skill sets, and it’s safe to say that Markkanen won’t reach an elite level in any category.

So why make this long-term commitment to Markkanen, effectively putting him on the same timetable as both Allen and Mobley? You’ll have to ask Cavs general manager Koby Altman because this whole thing is puzzling.

Trade grade: D+