That part makes sense. Having to pay a first rounder does not. There's really no justification for it unless it's a pick that isn't ever going to change hands.
A Dion Waiters level of SF is still a lot better than Austin Daye and Marco (who is one of the worst defenders I've ever seen). I like Kyle, but he's a couple years away from being a solid rotation player.
That part makes sense. Having to pay a first rounder does not. There's really no justification for it unless it's a pick that isn't ever going to change hands.
His best has been wayyyyyyyyyyyyy better than Dion's best. Plus, Dion has one extra year on his deal too I think.
I'm sticking with if it's top 10 protected, it's a good deal for OKC (*if* KD commits to them)
His worst has also been wayyyyyyyyyy worse than Dion's worst. Dion is really somewhat of an unknown at this point as far as peaks and bottoms... JR Smith not so much.
Good move for OKC, they get some backcourt depth. Waiters isn't the best player but he's better than the scrubs who would possibly b/u Westbrook in the OKC bench.
Disagree. JR's worst has been bad, but Dion has been "out of the league" bad. His upside has no where even come close to JR's. Again, odds are it's nothing, but for basketball, JR/Shump > Dion plus they shed an extra year by swapping JR for Dion.
How so? If its just top 10 protected, that means that OKC is losing the pick. How, with CLE having no leverage, can you think giving up a 15-22 pick is a good deal?
I think Shump > Dion already, just on what we know of both players, and I'm not a big fan of Shumpert... Cleveland had to move Waiters anyways, he was another guy that wouldn't embrace the bench role. I just think if JR gets any kind of big minutes for Cleveland, he's gonna cost them games. On the other hand, JR was already coming off the bench for the Knicks, so he should accept that role no problem.
Was Waiters supposed to be a good shooter? He seems to need the ball to be effective which is a massive issue for a guy playing with Lebron or KD/WB. He can't really shoot and hasn't proven he can play off the ball at all really. For OKC, Morrow > Dion IMO. Unless Dion takes some big next step which seems unlikely at best.
Not really. Waiters needs the ball in his hands to do anything, and he's a mediocre defender. Watching him play alongside Westbrook/Jackson will be funny.
It's not a great move, but they got some more depth and shooting. At least when JR sucks, he can still get hot and shoot off the ball. Dion could not. It's not about downside. It's about upside. JR seems to at least have some more upside off the ball/bench than Dion. Same with Shumpert.
I would never play him beside Westbrook. He HAS to play behind RWB. Maybe Jackson and Waiters will work, who knows, but OKC knows what they're getting.
What do you mean Cleveland has no leverage? They're trading away their best asset, and giving OKC an out for the Reggie Jackson contract situation.
OKC now can seriously engage on trying to get the best deal they can for Reggie before his contract is up, get a top 10 draft class talent, and only part with a 15-22 pick and the $4m trade exception.
Waiters is really bad at basketball, tbh..I assume they're trading Jackson, because those 2 together doesn't make any sense, at all..
If they're going get that kind of value for Jackson, they pretty much have to move him by the trade deadline.
Their best asset?Lebron, Love, Kyrie, Tristan, etc...He's not even their 5th best asset. It's been known he's been a crazy, inefficient underperformer that they have tried to dump numerous times. OKC would have no issue moving Reggie for a solid package regardless. They have Lamb/Morrow and a couple of other options that have been better than Dion in the event they moved Reggie. I get taking the gamble, but they are taking him off CLE's hands allowing CLE to get a couple of players who may be a good fit and should in no way give any sort of pick that has a legit shot to go to CLE.
He wouldn't take a bench role in Cleveland, so I doubt he'll accept a similar one in OKC. The problem with playing alongside either is that none of them are elite shooters which will limit their spacing, and it'll take more shots away from Durant as it is. What they need most right now are a couple 3&D guys, of which they seemingly have none.
Unless OKC's ownership gave the ok to pay Reggie (not likely) they were going to have to move Reggie regardless. You keep saying "top 10 talent". Just because someone was drafted there doesn't mean they were a top 10 talent. It's been pretty obvious now in year 3 that he's just not that good.
When OKC is doing CLE a favor of taking a guy they've tried to move several times in addition to having their own players (Lamb/Morrow) who are just as good if not better than Dion, no way you give up a pick. Especially when you need cheap draft talent since your owner won't pay anything.
Ok, conflicting reports now, this would make way more sense:
Imho, Cleveland is wishing Shumpert becomes the glue guy for them. The guy that competes on defense, doesn't whine about touches and knocks the open jumper. It's clear 50 years old Marion can't be that guy anymore. Jr Smith would come to replace Waiters as the guy that chucks jumpers while the big guns are getting a rest. Not an awful trade, imho.
They are already panicking and think JR and Shumpert will help![]()
It's their best trade asset because they're not looking to trade any of those other guys. Dion is a young prospect, on a rookie deal, top of his draft class... there's very little reason for a team to move a player like that unless they're getting something solid in return.
At this stage, any value they get back is good value... Reggie made it somewhat clear he wanted a bigger role or he was just going to walk and leave OKC empty handed.
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