The New-Look Cavs Have Arrived!
It was a wild past few days as the 2018 NBA Trade Deadline has come to a roaring close. The Cleveland Cavaliers will be wearing name tags for the next few games as they completely rebuilt their roster. The first few posts from this week's Swish Weekly are from before the deadline, and the second half is from after (I think you'll be able to sense the difference). I always find it nice to check out what people were saying prior to the deadline and compare that to what actually happens. It gives it a sense of accountability. Anyway, let's jump in.
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22263630/nba-financial-crunch-coming
A big NBA money crunch is coming - ESPN - Brian Windhorst and Bobby Marks
It's crazy how much of a difference a couple years can make. In 2016 Meyers Leonard of the Portland Trail Blazers signed a four-year $41 million contract to serve as the team's backup center. This summer, Jusuf Nurkic, the Blazers' starting center, may have a very difficult time making more than his backup. That basically sets the stage for what this article is all about.
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/5/16972634/trouble-nba-max-contracts
More Money, More Problems: The Trouble With Max Contracts - The Ringer - Kevin O'Connor
We haven't seen superstars change teams at such a high clip in the history of the league. One of the biggest catalysts for this constant shuffling of stars is the way the cap is structured and the tough time teams have determining which players are truly "max" level guys. This piece goes in depth on how a mistimed or poorly drawn up contract can cripple a team.
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/6/16972566/nba-trade-deadline-rankings
Blockbusters, Blunders, and So Many Sixers Second-Round Picks - The Ringer - John Gonzalez
It's always fun to look back on trades and see what could have, would have, or should have been. In this piece for The Ringer, John Gonzalez lays out a ranking of each of the past 10 trade deadlines. There are a plethora of deals that I had completely forgotten about that ended up drastically altering the landscape of the NBA. Plus, there are a lot of silly trades that seem like the work of a manic kid playing the franchise mode of NBA 2K.
What to expect and what could surprise at the trade deadline - ESPN - Zach Lowe
In this piece, ESPN Senior Writer Zach Lowe breaks down a multitude of possible deals that could happen this trade deadline (this piece went live Tuesday morning). This is one of the more intriguing deadlines in recent memory if only for the fact that it could be extremely quiet. As you know from the article by Brian Windhorst and Bobby Marks, teams are strapped for cash and that makes wheeling and dealing at the deadline all the more difficult.
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/2/6/16980478/lebron-james-trade-offers-shootaround
What Would It Take to Trade for LeBron James? - The Ringer - Ringer Staff
None of these deals will actually happen. I repeat, NONE OF THESE DEALS WILL ACTUALLY HAPPEN. It's impossible. LeBron literally has a no-trade clause in his contract and it has been reported that he has no interest in waiving that clause, but that almost makes these sorts of trades more fun to make up. While I don't think any of these trades are even in the realm of possibilities, I still think it's interesting to look at.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/screw-it-lets-debate-some-hypothetical-lebron-trades/
Screw It - Let's Debate Some Hypothetical LeBron Trades - FiveThirtyEight - FiveThirtyEight Staff
With a relatively quiet trade deadline, many NBA outlets have found themselves trying to manufacture some drama at the deadline. We've seen our fair share of LeBron hypothetical trades, but the guys over at FiveThirtyEight go far deeper than the eye-test. You have to check out the four-team trade they come up with at the very end. Two words... Banana Boat!
Best, worst and most surprising moves at a wild trade deadline - ESPN - NBA Insiders
After what many (including us here at Swish Weekly) thought would be a quiet deadline, the Cavaliers decided to completely gut their team and revamp the lineup. They got younger, more athletic, and far better defensively, all without giving up the Brooklyn pick the front office coveted so badly. This round table piece discusses how good the Cavs are now and which deals had the greatest impact.
Winners and Losers of the NBA Trade Deadline - The Ringer - Kevin O'Connor
Yesterday's trade deadline was a whirlwind and it can be difficult to stay up to date on each move as they're happening. With a bit of time to process the entire thing, The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor went through the deals and picked the winners and losers of the NBA Trade Deadline. NBA trades are not always a zero-sum game as teams have different agendas and different time frames for success, but there were some pretty clear winners and losers thanks to this years deadline.
http://www.espn.com/espnradio/play?id=22382471
The Lowe Post Podcast: Brian Windhorst, ESPN - ESPN - Zach Lowe and Brian Windhorst
To close out this week, we have the Lowe Post podcast from ESPN with NBA insiders Zach Lowe and Brian Windhorst. These are probably two of the three top guys you want to keep up with at the trade deadline (the third being Woj) and this podcast is worth its weight in gold. They go over the trades that happened, how they affected the teams involved, and also delve deeply into the trades that didn't come to completion in time. This was a firey trade deadline and these guys know their stuff.
And that's all for this week squad. We wanted to give a quick mention to a post yesterday. It's a quick rundown and breakdown of all the deals that happened on deadline day. You can read about that here: https://steemit.com/nba/@brandonp/every-nba-trade-of-deadline-day-analysis. It's a quick and entertaining read and gives you all of the deals that happened and a bit about how they will impact the teams involved. Remember, if you don't already follow us on all social media, please do that! We're @SwishWeekly everywhere.
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