The Cleveland Cavaliers purged their roster right before the NBA trade deadline on Thursday at 3 pm.
Gone are Isaiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade, Channing Frye, Iman Shumpert, Jae Crowder, and Derrick Rose.
In are Rodney Hood, George Hill, Larry Nance Jr., and Jordan Clarkson.
The Cavaliers struggled in January. They did not defend as evidenced by the 148 points they gave up to OKC last month. They were not cohesive on offense, LeBron James and Isaiah Thomas just did not mesh together, and they were slowly sinking going 6-8 in January.
They needed a makeover, and they got it, but will it work?
George Hill can defend. He is an immediate upgrade on the defensive end. Jordan Clarkson can give you instant offense off the bench. Rodney Hood can score; Larry Nance Jr. is athletic, versatile, and provides the team with another finisher around the basket.
As long as they have LeBron James, they have a shot. No one in the Eastern Conference has a LeBron James.
They will have to try to develop some chemistry before the playoffs, and at some point, Kevin Love will return.
These are bold moves by the Cavaliers, but they were moves that Cleveland had to make if they wanted to go back to the NBA Finals.
