CAVS CORRAL NANCE, CLARKSON FOR ISAIAH THOMAS, FRYE, FIRST-ROUNDER
The Cleveland Cavaliers acquired center/power forward Larry Nance Jr. and guard Jordan Clarkson from the Los Angeles Lakers for guard Isaiah Thomas, center/power forward Channing Frye and a protected first-round draft pick in 2018.
What does it give the Cleveland Cavaliers
Nance is one of the better emerging backup big men in the league, and Clarkson is an exciting, energetic rotational addition to the backcourt. That said, for the Cavs this deal is all about two things: getting younger, and changing the clubhouse chemistry. Cleveland has been a team in turmoil all season long as it tries to find a winning formula on and off the court, and Thomas wasn't looking like a great fit. Moreover, he hits free agency this off-season so the Cavs do a nice job here of getting two quality young players in return for a guy (plus the aging Frye) who wasn't in their future plans.
What does it give the Los Angeles Lakers
Essentially, this trade gives L.A. a likely-late first-round pick and a lot more financial flexibility to sign stars this summer. It's a solid--if perhaps overrated--transaction by the Lakers. Thomas obviously isn't an ideal fit for now or the long-term, and L.A. can let him hit free agency this summer and use the salary cap space for other free agents. Sacrificing two quality role players in Nance and Clarkson hurts a bit, but those two have multi-year contracts (so keeping them would have meant less cash available for this summer's free agents).
Fantasy impact
There are a lot of moving pieces as a result of this deal, but fantasy owners of Thomas are the clear winners. He goes from being a complementary scorer on a struggling Cavs team to likely being the main man--for the rest of this season, anyway--on the rebuilding Lakers. Frye as well might see a small boost in production, but probably not enough to make him pickup-worthy. It will be interesting to see how the Lakers handle Thomas' role once Lonzo Ball returns from injury, since both guys expect to start at point guard (and Ball's father LaVar is sure to weigh in on matters if his son's playing time is decreased). For the Cavs, Nance and Clarkson should see their respective fantasy values stay roughly the same, since both project as key backups (just like they were on the Lakers).
