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HOU Receives: SG Rodney Hood
CLE Receives: PF Marquese Chriss, HOU 2021 2nd Round Pick
If you know my trades, you know that I believe the best asset for the rebuilding team is the distressed one: a former lottery pick that has fallen on hard times. Often they can be gotten on the cheap once their original team sours on them, so they offer the best bang for the acquiring team's buck -- this is even more true in the instance of Chriss, who's already been moved on the cheap.
The Cavs and Rodney Hood don't have a future together, and you can lay that right at Hood's feet. He was given a chance to contribute to a title team, and shrank from the moment. When the Cavs went from a yearly Finals participant to the league's basement, he could have taken the reins, had any shot he wanted, and been a 20-point scorer; he's just not interested.
Why would the Rockets want him, then? He has undeniable natural basketball ability, he's still averaging 13-2-2, and as gutted as the Rockets have been by injury, having a player of his talent and aptitude would be a welcome addition -- someone who isn't to be counted on, but can bust out a few nights a season, a role Chriss doesn't stand a chance of filling for them.
The Cavs get to take their own swing at Chriss, who has had the rug progressively pulled out from underneath him year by year in the association. He started almost every game as a rookie, averaging 9.2 ppg and 4.2 rpg, with the better part of a block and steal per game. Then he dropped from 75 starts as a rookie to 49 as a sophomore, before being shipped out a month before his third year, in which he is now a staple of the Houston bench.
The Cavs have some interesting pieces in the frontcourt, but none so interesting that they couldn't devote some time and energy to the uber-athletic Chriss -- especially with Larry Nance Jr. sidelined. And if nothing comes of it, they still get a future 2nd out of Houston to add to the war chest, a pick that might be mildly interesting as we get further into Chris Paul's late 30s. It's very worth their while to improve Houston's present so that Cleveland can improve its future.