CLEVELAND (AP):
Cleveland dealt away half its active roster in an 11-player trade deal Thursday that the Cavaliers hope will help star LeBron James lead the team to the NBA title.
With one minute to spare before the trading deadline expired, Cleveland dismantled its team in a move that management ack-nowledges is risky, with less than 30 games remaining in the regular season.
In a complex deal involving Cleveland, Chicago and Seattle, Ferry dealt half his active roster to acquire centre Ben Wallace and forward Joe Smith from the Bulls, and forward Wally Szczerbiak and guard Delonte West from the SuperSonics.
help wanted
James wants to win a championship and after seeing several other teams land big-name players via trades in recent weeks, the All-Star game MVP made it clear to Cavaliers management that he needed help.
"I didn't think we were good enough to win the championship," Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry said, explaining his motives for the moves. "We had a very good team. But I do believe if we have a chance to make ourselves better, we should try.
"Was it a risk in doing so? Yes, it was a risk. But we're going to have to make some decisions that have some risk in them if we want to continue to build and grow as an organisation."
Cleveland sent guard Larry Hughes, forwards Drew Gooden and Cedric Simmons, and guard Shannon Brown to Chicago for Wallace, one of the game's top inside enforcers and Smith, a versatile veteran.
Cleveland also acquired the sharpshooting Szczerbiak and West from Seattle for forwards Ira Newble and Donyell Marshall. In addition, the Cavs will get Chicago's second-round pick in 2009. The Sonics will receive guard Adrian Griffin from the Bulls.
salary cap
While giving the Cavaliers a new core to surround James, Ferry did not hurt his team's long-term salary cap flexibility. He did create one short-term problem, however.
The deal caps a busy month of trades as several stars, including Shaquille O'Neal, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion and Pau Gasol, all were dealt to new teams. The Gasol swap triggered an arms race of sorts among the Western Conference's top squads, while this one could have a major impact atop the East.
In the 33-year-old Wallace, the Cavaliers are getting a defensive intimidator. He will give them next to nothing on offense, but that's not what the defending Eastern Conference champs need.
Wallace was a major disappoint-ment for the underachieving Bulls, who signed him to a four-year, $60 million (euro41 million) contract in 2006.
At the time, the Bulls thought he was the missing piece to get them back into contention for an NBA title, something they haven't sniffed since Michael Jordan retired.
Wallace got the Bulls into the second round in last year's playoffs. But the team hasn't recovered from a slow start this season and he's averaging 5.1 points and 8.8 rebounds - his worst season statistically since 1999-00.
Much like Wallace, Hughes didn't deliver as the Cavs had hoped. They signed him to a five-year, $60 million (euro41 million) free agent deal in 2005, but he struggled with injuries and his jump shot.
CLEVELAND (AP):
Cleveland dealt away half its active roster in an 11-player trade deal Thursday that the Cavaliers hope will help star LeBron James lead the team to the NBA title.
With one minute to spare before the trading deadline expired, Cleveland dismantled its team in a move that management ack-nowledges is risky, with less than 30 games remaining in the regular season.
In a complex deal involving Cleveland, Chicago and Seattle, Ferry dealt half his active roster to acquire centre Ben Wallace and forward Joe Smith from the Bulls, and forward Wally Szczerbiak and guard Delonte West from the SuperSonics.
help wanted
James wants to win a championship and after seeing several other teams land big-name players via trades in recent weeks, the All-Star game MVP made it clear to Cavaliers management that he needed help.
"I didn't think we were good enough to win the championship," Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry said, explaining his motives for the moves. "We had a very good team. But I do believe if we have a chance to make ourselves better, we should try.
"Was it a risk in doing so? Yes, it was a risk. But we're going to have to make some decisions that have some risk in them if we want to continue to build and grow as an organisation."
Cleveland sent guard Larry Hughes, forwards Drew Gooden and Cedric Simmons, and guard Shannon Brown to Chicago for Wallace, one of the game's top inside enforcers and Smith, a versatile veteran.
Cleveland also acquired the sharpshooting Szczerbiak and West from Seattle for forwards Ira Newble and Donyell Marshall. In addition, the Cavs will get Chicago's second-round pick in 2009. The Sonics will receive guard Adrian Griffin from the Bulls.
salary cap
While giving the Cavaliers a new core to surround James, Ferry did not hurt his team's long-term salary-cap flexibility. He did create one short-term problem, however.
The deal caps a busy month of trades as several stars, including Shaquille O'Neal, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion and Pau Gasol, all were dealt to new teams. The Gasol swap triggered an arms race of sorts among the Western Conference's top squads, while this one could have a major impact atop the East.
In the 33-year-old Wallace, the Cavaliers are getting a defensive intimidator. He will give them next to nothing on offense, but that is not what the defending Eastern Conference champs need.
Wallace was a major disappoint-ment for the underachieving Bulls, who signed him to a four-year, $60 million (euro41 million) contract in 2006.
At the time, the Bulls thought he was the missing piece to get them back into contention for an NBA title, something they have not sniffed since Michael Jordan retired.
Wallace got the Bulls into the second round in last year's playoffs. But the team has not recovered from a slow start this season and he is averaging 5.1 points and 8.8 rebounds - his worst season statistically since 1999-00.
Much like Wallace, Hughes did not deliver as the Cavs had hoped. They signed him to a five-year, $60 million (euro41 million) free agent deal in 2005, but he struggled with injuries and his jump shot.
