The Cavaliers purged their roster before the 2017 season, so if that doesn't work? Do it again halfway through the year. The Cavaliers' roster is completely unrecognizable from what it was mere hours ago, as Dan Gilbert has surrounded LeBron James with a completely new cast. It's like "That 70's Show's" transition period to "That 80's Show," except they'll undoubtedly be hoping for way better results.
Just how much turnover did Cleveland experience at the deadline? Well, let's look:
Pre-deadline
- LeBron James
- J.R. Smith
- Kevin Love
- Jeff Green
- Tristan Thompson
- Kyle Korver
- Jose Calderon
- Cedi Osman
- Ante Zizic
- London Perrantes
- John Holland
- Jae Crowder (traded)
- Isaiah Thomas (traded)
- Dwyane Wade (traded)
- Derrick Rose (traded)
- Channing Frye (traded)
- Iman Shumpert (traded)
Post-deadline
- LeBron James
- J.R. Smith
- Kevin Love
- Jeff Green
- Tristan Thompson
- Kyle Korver
- Jose Calderon
- Cedi Osman
- Ante Zizic
- London Perrantes
- John Holland
- Jordan Clarkson (acquired)
- Larry Nance Jr. (acquired)
- Rodney Hood (acquired)
- George Hill (acquired)
For Cleveland fans, this must feel like a Red Wedding that you never knew the characters long enough for to care about. However, it's a crazy flurry of activity for a team ranked third in the East, albeit in the middle of a weird slide. The Cavaliers managed to pick up some serious talent in this deal, nonetheless. Whether they're throwing in the towel for 2018 or doubling down remains to be seen, but if they're going to make a run, it's going to be with a very different squad than they thought.