Charlotte Hornets

Cavaliers trade Chris 'Birdman' Andersen to Hornets, opening up a roster spot

Published Feb. 13, 2017 1:03 p.m. ET

Cameron DaSilva

LeBron James has been calling for the Cleveland Cavaliers to add a playmaker, and they might be on their way to doing exactly that in the coming weeks. On Monday, they traded center Chris “Birdman” Andersen and cash considerations to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for a protected second-round pick. The team announced the move in an official statement.

The return for the Cavaliers isn’t much, but the fact that it opens up a roster spot is noteworthy. It could lead them to add a point guard in a trade, or dip into the free-agency pool.

Andersen wasn’t going to contribute this season, either. He played just 12 games before tearing his ACL, forcing him to miss the rest of the season. He was averaging 2.6 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.

Before trading Andersen to the Hornets, the Cavs signed Derrick Williams to a 10-day contract.