This is not a very early April Fool’s joke. According to multiple reports, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers are swapping points guard Mo Williams and Baron Davis. This is an insanely idiotic deal for the Cavs but a brilliant move for the Clips. You read that right, the Los Angeles Clippers basketball franchise just made a tremendous trade.
By: David Kay
Cleveland Cavaliers Get: PG Baron Davis, 2011 1st Round Pick
Los Angeles Clippers Get: PG Mo Williams, SF Jamario Moon
Why this makes sense for Cleveland:
Clearly what Dan Gilbert is doing here is… umm… well you see… (scratching my head)… I got nothing. Why in the world the worst team in the league would want to take on a moody, greedy, over-priced, and over-weight player like Davis is absolutely baffling to me. Davis has $28.8 million in guaranteed money coming his the next two seasons. You think he is actually going to try in Cleveland? You think he is going to be a good teammate and a positive influence on a team that needs to head in a re-building direction?
I know the Cavs get the Clips first rounder out of this deal which give them a pair of likely top ten picks, but this is the exact opposite direction that Cleveland needs to go with their franchise. Rather than taking on bloated salaries, they need to be dumping them for cap space. I feel sorry for Cav fans. I really do.
Why this makes sense for Los Angeles:
Yes, Donald Sterling and the Clippers actually duped another team. Seriously, how happy do think the franchise was when Cleveland actually said yes to this deal. I bet they had to put the phone on mute so that Gilbert did not hear all the cheering, hooting and hollering, and high fives being passed around the Clips front office.
Williams has battled through injury this season and is having his worst season in five years but is actually an upgrade in terms of what he brings to the floor compared to Davis. Williams has player options for each of the next two seasons that would earn him $8.5 million per season. Moon has a team option worth about $3.2 million next season and I would imagine the Clippers would decline that and allow Moon to become a free agent so they could open up some more cap space.
All in all, this will save the Clips about $5.5 million next season and about $6.4 million in the 2012-13. Sure it cost them a first round pick, but do not forget that the Clips own the Timberwolves’ 2012 first rounder so it was almost as if they were playing with house money. Plus, they need to add some veterans to this team, not more youth. I never thought I would be saying this, but way to go Clippers.
Check out my thoughts on the Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams trades.
David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank. He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com and former contributor for The Washington Times Communities. You can follow him on Twitter at DavidKay_TSB.