The Cleveland Cavaliers have reportedly agreed to a three-team trade with the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics that will send Jarrett Jack to Brooklyn. The Cavs needed to move Jack, who is owed $6.3 million next season, in order to clear the space needed to sign a player to a maximum contract. They’re hoping that player will be some dude named LeBron James.
According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Nets will get Jack and Sergey Karasev while sending a future first-round pick and Marcus Thornton to the Celtics. Thornton is owed more than $8 million next season, so the Cavs had to involve a third team in order to shed contracts without taking any on. Cleveland also sent Tyler Zeller and his $1.7 million to Boston.
The Cavs facilitated the trade with one goal in mind — creating salary cap space. While we have no way of knowing for sure what LeBron’s future plans are, it is fairly obvious that Cleveland is doing all it can to sign him. The decision is now solely in LeBron’s hands.
Meanwhile, Danny Ainge has parlayed the Cavs’ desperation to sign LeBron into a nice haul for the Celtics. Boston will get a free look at Zeller while also acquiring another future first-round pick. With Ainge reportedly still trying to figure out a way to trade for Kevin Love, could that future first-rounder become valuable? Let’s not get carried away…
