The trade season is officially underway after the Cleveland Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls pulled off a three-way deal on Saturday. But which players did each team get? Let’s break down the first blockbuster trade ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Cavaliers are sending De’Andre Hunter to the Kings in exchange for Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder. The Bulls are involved because they are absorbing Dario Saric’s contract from Sacramento.
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Here’s the full breakdown of the trade:
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Cavaliers get: Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder from SAC.
Kings get: De’Andre Hunter from CLE.
Bulls get: Dario Saric and 2029 second-round pick from SAC and 2027 second-round pick from CLE.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are getting a perfect sixth man in Dennis Schroder, who is one of only two players averaging 10 points and five assists off the bench. The Cavs have been missing the production of Ty Jerome from last season. Jerome signed with the Memphis Grizzlies in the offseason.
Keon Ellis is a 3-and-D player who would give the Cavs another boost off the bench. He could also finish games because of his defense, while also being capable of knocking down 3-point shots. He’s going to fill out the minutes needed for a late-season push by Cleveland.
As for the Kings, they get a proven scorer in De’Andre Hunter. However, he creates a glut of wing scorers in Sacramento, with Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. With this trade, it won’t be surprising if Sacramento makes another deal before the deadline.
Chicago is reportedly waiving Jevon Carter to make room for Dario Saric, who has barely played for the Kings this season.
Cleveland Cavaliers’ savvy move saves franchise tax money
The Cleveland Cavaliers are the only team in the NBA with a payroll that got hit with the second-apron luxury tax this season, as per The Athletic. They are reportedly set to save $50 million in salary and luxury tax bills this season because of the trade.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks reported that the Cavs’ initial luxury tax bill this season was $164 million. It now goes down to around $120 million, which should be considered a steal since they also improved their roster. They could also re-sign Keon Ellis despite being on the second apron, with a contract possibly worth $52 million.
The Cavs will need to hurry since Ellis can only sign an extension until Feb. 9. The trade also gives the Sacramento Kings an extra roster spot for a standard contract. They are reportedly turning rookie Dylan Cardwell’s two-way deal into a standard deal.
Edited by Juan Paolo David