This year in the NBA, there was a little bit more drama than usual. That resulted in some big trades that left some questions.
Some of the questions will be answered in free agency this offseason; some of the questions we will never know the answer, as they will remain behind the scenes.
There were a good amount of trades, the two biggest trades involved the Cleveland Cavaliers. In their first trade, they are sending Isaiah Thomas and Channing Frye to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr.
Isaiah Thomas was the star of the Boston Celtics before he was traded to the Cavaliers last offseason for Kyrie Irving. If it wasn’t for Kyrie demanding a trade to the Cavaliers, he would probably still be the star of the Celtics.
This is a question from the trade deadline that will be unanswered, why exactly this trade happened? Yes, there were problems in the clubhouse in Cleveland, and Isaiah Thomas and LeBron James might not have been getting along. Kyrie and LeBron didn’t get along, as Kyrie got tired of LeBron and demanded a trade to the Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers were without Isaiah Thomas in the beginning of the season due to his hip injury. When he came back he was averaging 14.7 points and 5 assists in his first 15 games back from a hip injury. Those are good numbers, especially to go along with LeBron James.
I think that LeBron and Isaiah could’ve competed for a NBA title together and could’ve continued LeBron’s streak and made an eighth-straight NBA finals appearance.
The other big trade was the three-team trade between the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Utah Jazz and the Sacramento Kings. The Cavaliers received Guard Rodney Hood from the Jazz and veteran guard George Hill from the Sacramento Kings.
The Jazz received Jae Crowder and Derrick Rose from Utah, and the Kings received veteran guard Joe Johnson from the Jazz as well as receiving Ian Shumpert from the Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers won the trade as they got rid of most of their roster and brought in good young talent and veteran guard George Hill to go along with LeBron James. With LeBron being the best player in the world, this team should be dangerous after this trade. It might take some time for their chemistry to get fully in sync together, but by playoff time they should for sure be dangerous.
There are questions left to be answered, though.
Where does this leave LeBron James and Paul George in the offseason? On Feb. 7, the day before the trade deadline, LeBron said to ESPN, “I’m here for the long haul. I’m here for this season right now, [to] try to figure out ways we can still compete. I couldn’t give up on my teammates like that.”
Are these meaningful words from LeBron, or are they just positive words coming out of his mouth for this season? Or is LeBron’s heart truly in Cleveland?
Look at the Kevin Durant/Russell Westbrook situation. Durant defended Westbrook every step of the way while he was in Oklahoma City when Westbrook constantly received criticism. He called Mark Cuban an idiot when Cuban said Westbrook was just an All-Star and not a superstar. Then when Durant went to the Warriors, he and Westbrook had some media comments that went back-and-forth with each other. Is this the same situation with LeBron and the Cavaliers organization?
Where does the Cavaliers-Lakers trade leave Paul George on deciding to go to the Lakers or stay in Oklahoma City? Does it have an impact at all?
The Thunder are getting better and the big three — Carmelo Anthony, Paul George and Russell Westbrook — are getting better together.
The Thunder have already blown out the Warriors twice this year and seem to be improving overall as the year goes on. Of course, if the Lakers show they improve with the roster they have after this trade, you never know — maybe George will go to his hometown in Los Angeles and become a Laker regardless.
The one thing we do know in Cleveland is the Cavaliers are going to do whatever it takes to keep LeBron. The trades that just happened could’ve been an order from LeBron. Or maybe the front office brought in a young group that can win now and to show him that there can be a bright future there.
We also know that the Thunder are going to do whatever they can to keep Paul George in Oklahoma City.
Another question after this deadline that remains to be answered: Do stars not like playing with LeBron? Kyrie requested a trade, now Isaiah Thomas has been traded. As he is chasing Michael Jordan on legacy, there is a reason why Jordan has six NBA titles. He had a team full of great players that clicked together. Why does LeBron keep having great players getting traded?
