Remember when Cavs fans didnt wanna trade Dion Waiters?

[navy]

Thompson is athletic/young enough that they could mold him into a rim protector like what the Clips did with Deande Jordan. They need to hire a coach and start doing that now.

Waiters is expendable.

[DMAVS41]

Why would Cleveland trade all that for an overpaid small SG and a no defense C?

It's not that hard to answer. Cavs only moving one or more of those pieces for veterans, not unproven young talent which you seem to have an divine affinity for

I'll tell you why.

The pick is borderline irrelevant.

Waiters is worth nothing on this team. Especially as he's due up for a new contract after next season or an extension before it.

Thompson is nice, but doesn't address the biggest front line weakness and is due up for 10 million or so a year this summer.

Bradley is actually on a nice contract and, imo, is the perfect g/sg for this team next to Kyrie. He's a truly elite defender and he's a very good spot up 3 point shooter.

Olynk is a nice player that would fit well in the Blatt offense imo and having another big to stretch the floor will always be important with Kyrie and Lebron on the same team. More importantly though...Olynk is locked up on a good contract for 3 years and he's not going to ever get that expensive likely.

This allows the Cavs to have even more financial flexibility going forward this summer to address their center position with extra cap space and the Haywood contract to make a big trade and or add someone.

In a vacuum it's a lot, but when you realize that cutting Waiters and getting back nothing actually helps this team in the long run (because they don't want to pay him)...then it starts to make real sense.

[andremiller07]

Thompson is athletic/young enough that they could mold him into a rim protector like what the Clips did with Deande Jordan. They need to hire a coach and start doing that now.

Waiters is expendable.

Thompson is Kennath Faried not DJ, he's not 6'11 with a insane wingspan and he's not that good of a rim protector. Thompson won't ever be half as valuable as DJ.

[DMAVS41]

Thompson is athletic/young enough that they could mold him into a rim protector like what the Clips did with Deande Jordan. They need to hire a coach and start doing that now.

Waiters is expendable.

I've seen nothing to date that implies Thompson could become a rim protector. And with Kevin Love likely to play 38 to 41 minutes in the playoffs. What purpose does Thompson really serve? Because playing those two together is a recipe for playoff disaster imo.

[navy]

Thompson is Kennath Faried not DJ, he's not 6'11 with a insane wingspan and he's not that good of a rim protector. Thompson won't ever be half as valuable as DJ.

I said they could mold him into one, not that he is one currrently. And he might not ever reach DJs level, but he doesnt have to be elite to give this team something on that end.

[n00bie]

Dion is absolute garbage and he has the IQ of a potato..

Cavs chose Dion over Wiggins... Wiggins + Lebron would be such an amazing perimeter of defense and playmaking..

Wiggins cuts like Wade and plays defense like Lebron, while maintaining that young hunger and desire to get better every day..

Cavs fans

They didn't choose waiters over wiggins. They traded wiggins to get kevin love.

[navy]

I've seen nothing to date that implies Thompson could become a rim protector. And with Kevin Love likely to play 38 to 41 minutes in the playoffs. What purpose does Thompson really serve? Because playing those two together is a recipe for playoff disaster imo.

He has a few good blocks. But he doesnt need to be a shot block to be a rim protector. See Marc Gasol.

[andremiller07]

I said they could mold him into one, not that he is one currrently. And he might not ever reach DJs level, but he doesnt have to be elite to give this team something on that end.

I just think it's a bad comparison, Tristain Thompson is a player in the mold of the like of Trevor Booker/Faried which is undersized PF's with good athletic ability who can block the odd shot in transition, I don't think you can mold someone in a rim protector unless they are a good size for there position. What's stopping the Clipper from molding Blake Griffin into a shot blocker? It just does not work like that.

[DMAVS41]

He has a few good blocks. But he doesnt need to be a shot block to be a rim protector. See Marc Gasol.

Who said anything about shot blocking? I'm just talking about protecting the paint/rim and all that implies. Thompson is not that type of player at all to date. He's actually been pretty poor defensively for his career and comparing him to Jordan just doesn't make sense.

[#number6ix#]

Waiters for pj tucker

[j3lademaster]

I just think it's a bad comparison, Tristain Thompson is a player in the mold of the like of Trevor Booker/Faried which is undersized PF's with good athletic ability who can block the odd shot in transition, I don't think you can mold someone in a rim protector unless they are a good size for there position. What's stopping the Clipper from molding Blake Griffin into a shot blocker? It just does not work like that.

Well, Ben Wallace was 6'6/6'7 but I see your point and I agree.

[j3lademaster]

He has a few good blocks. But he doesnt need to be a shot block to be a rim protector. See Marc Gasol.

Marc Gasol is 7' 280.

[Hey Yo]

Remember when LeBron haters said he should have stayed with Cleveland because JJ Hickson and Jamario Moon will be stars.

[LilEddyCurry]

Are you implying Dwait would have netted the Cavs Kevin Love? No one chose Waiters over Wiggins.

One idiot would and he posts on this board.

[Collie]

They didn't choose Waiters over Wiggins. In fact, they were willing to give up Waiters AND Bennett/Thompson. It's just that the Wolves wanted Wiggins period.