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The Cleveland Cavaliers have landed Utah Jazz guard Rodney Hood and Sacramento Kings veteran guard George Hill as part of a three-team trade two hours before the 2018 NBA trade deadline.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Cavaliers have sent Jae Crowder and Derrick Rose to Utah, and the Jazz have sent veteran guard Joe Johnson to the Kings. Cleveland also sends Iman Shumpert to Sacramento as part of the deal.
UPDATE: The Cavaliers have also traded Dwyane Wade to Miami.
The move comes just moments after the Cavaliers traded Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye and their own 2018 first-round pick to the Lakers for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr.
This trade improves the Cavaliers tremendously
Cleveland’s two biggest issues contributing to a 7-13 record in their past 20 games were a league-worst defense and poor guard play.
After landing Clarkson, adding Hill gives Cleveland a veteran two-way floor general who can space the floor for LeBron James. Hood is a talented young wing averaging a career-best 16.8 points on 39 percent shooting from three-point range. He is only 25 years old and can be a player Cleveland incorporates into its future.
Both Hill and Hood project as new starters in Cleveland. The Cavaliers’ backcourt is essentially shored up.
Are the Cavaliers good enough, now?
Well, on paper they just might be. Hill might be 31, but he’s a smart defender capable of checking the league’s premier point guards. Adding Hood and Clarkson gives Cleveland legitimate depth in the backcourt, and the Cavaliers got much more athletic when they received Nance Jr. in the Thomas trade.
Cleveland will still get Kevin Love back from his hand injury in late March or early April. The only thing left is chemistry. The Cavaliers added eight new faces to the roster last summer only to trade a handful of them away in February. How long will it take for each of Cleveland’s new players to acclimate to playing with LeBron James?
Only time will tell.