in NBA Articles

Last Thursday’s trade deadline was almost fated to be anticlimactic for Cleveland Cavaliers GM stepped in at the last minute to submit the following three-way deal for league approval:

To Cleveland from Chicago: Ben Wallace and Joe Smith

To Cleveland from Seattle: Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West

To Chicago from Cleveland: Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes, Shannon Brown and Cedric Simmons

To Seattle from Cleveland: Donyell Marshall, Ira Newble

To Seattle from Chicago: Adrian Griffin

This trade (since approved) has been called something of an overhaul for the Cavaliers, but in reality, the only player of consequence to the way Cleveland was playing basketball was Drew Gooden – and even he was having a subpar year for the Cavs at 12.72 PER (Player Efficiency Rating) and a Roland Rating of minus-2.9. Larry Hughes (12.01 PER) has been a bust for Cleveland ever since coming over from Washington three years ago; the Cavs are happy just to get out from under the last two years and $25 million of his contract.

They’ll need most of that money to pay Ben Wallace, who will make $28.5 million over the same two years. Wallace looked well past his prime in Memphis Grizzlies (+11.5).

Digging deeper into Cleveland’s treasure trove, Wally Szczerbiak and Joe Smith each scored in double figures off the bench. Delonte West started at point guard in place of the injured Daniel Gibson; although the rookie struggled on 2-for-12 shooting, West added six assists and three steals as he continues his uneven development at the NBA level.

Wallace and Smith were expendable in Cleveland next to LeBron James. Hughes can go back to his strength in Chicago, and he can do it while making Ben Gordon (15.88 PER) and his contract demands redundant.

Although the competition in the East (NBA odds for the latest on these two improved teams.

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