The Give and Go: Best/Worst Transactions

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The Give and Go is a quick back and forth between Paul Mitchell and Chris St. Jean about a relevant subject in the NBA at that moment.

Paul: It was just a few weeks ago that we bemoaned the lack of trades in the 2014-15 NBA season. Since then we’ve had a few Celtics trades, a high-profile release that’s turned around the season of the Detroit Pistons, and a number of potential contenders who have upgraded their teams for the second half of the season (AKA the “Western Conference arms race”).

This week’s Give and Go question will be simple: Which team’s transaction(s) do you like the most and believe upgrades them for a playoff push? Alternately, which move still confounds you?

Twitter Explosion: J.R. Smith and Dion Waiters In the Same Trade?

Credit: AP Photo/ Bill Kostroun &
Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images

The Give and Go is a quick back and forth between Paul Mitchell and Chris St. Jean about a relevant subject in the NBA at that moment.

Chris:  Alright Mitchell, after a holiday hiatus we’re back and on Monday night of the first ‘back to work’ week of the new year there was a Twitter explosion.  Half of the fun was the crazy rumors (Reggie Jackson to the Knicks) flying around when the trade happened, as even Woj wasn’t quite sure what was happening.  After the dust settled, here’s the deal:

The Cavs acquire Iman Shumpert and J. R. Smith and a 2015 protected first round pick (OKC).

The Oklahoma City Thunder acquire Dion Waiters.

The New York Knicks acquire Lance Thomas (OKC), Alex Kirk (CLE), Lou Amundson (CLE), and a 2019 second round pick (in a pure salary dump).

So, Mitchell, what just happened?

2014-15 NBA Season Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers

Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, and Kevin Love
(Lisa DeJong/The Cleveland Plain Dealer)

It’s still weeks before the start of the regular season and the very concept of the Cleveland Cavaliers as a super team with serious championship aspirations is still a little strange. The franchise has had its moments of futility throughout its 44-year history, but also NBA and Conference Finals appearances over the last ten years. LeBron James may be the constant to their periods of contention, but the composition, and potential upside, of the team around him is vastly different than those veteran-laden teams of the mid-to-late ‘aughts.