Shamshammgod’s GM Twitter mailbag
By Sham Mohile
D-Will in Detroit
My assistant, with a smirk on his face, hands me a fan request. The fan, Lance Doll, requests that I swing a trade to bring Deron Williams to the team, assuming he resigns with the Cavaliers for the veteran’s minimum – around $2.3 million/year.
The Cavaliers are operating well into the luxury tax and bringing on another PG seems superflous for them, with Derrick Rose and Kay Felder backing up Kyrie Irving.
Here’s the trade:
In this trade, the Pistons receive J.R. Smith – a shooter who is unafraid to shoot when the ball is in his hands and hits threes at a relatively high percentage (career 37.4 percent) and Lance’s Deron Williams to soak up backup point guard minutes behind Reggie Jackson. This trade makes sense ONLY if Reggie Jackson is healthy. Deron Williams, at this stage in his career, does not have the stamina nor ability to start in the NBA. If it weren’t a fan request, I wouldn’t touch him.
With the current glut of forwards on the Pistons and with Jon Leuer eating Henry Ellenson‘s minutes, exchanging him for J.R. Smith seems like the right move. Smith being unafraid to shoot threes might feel like a negative, but he will not only hit them at a high percentage but also with the league’s best rebounder parked under the rim, the opportunity for put-backs and second chances significantly increases.
The Cavaliers get Kevin Love 0.5 in Jon Leuer, and could be a capable backup for the Cavaliers. The addition of Ish Smith allows for Kay Felder to transition to the D..I mean G-League and contribute meaningful minutes next season with Derrick Rose coming off the books, or will contribute this season if Kyrie Irving finds a new home. Smith can push the pace, especially in transition, for the Cavaliers and would play well with a talented wing player (*cough cough* LeBron James *cough cough*). The Cavaliers would require a bit of a sweetener for this deal and that’s why I’ll be sending out our second round pick in 2019.