by Will Gibson
Christmas has been traded in July.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have sent the rights to forward/center Rakeem Christmas, the No. 36 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2019 second-round pick, Cavs GM David Griffin announced today. The Pacers acquired that pick earlier this month when they sent center Roy Hibbert to Los Angeles.
The Pacers wasted little time in inking Christmas to a four-year contract.1
On its face, the trade is a cost-cutting move for the Cavs. The team’s salary issues have been well-documented this summer, and trading Christmas for a pick means that the Cavs don’t have to pay him,2 and it takes a player out of the running for the team’s final roster spots.
Russian center Sasha Kaun, whose NBA rights the Cavs hold, has expressed interest in coming to Cleveland, and this move could be a means of opening up a spot for him. It could also be the first of several moves to come before the end of the month, as Brendan Haywood and his salary will surely be moved before his contract becomes guaranteed on August 1.
The deal could turn out to be a coup if the Lakers are unable to pull themselves out of the cellar in the next few years and the pick winds up high in the second round. Worst case, it’s a trade chip for David Griffin to play with.
Some stats on Christmas’ summer league performance, per the Cavs’ press release:
“Christmas, the 36th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, appeared in four summer league games for this Cavs this summer, averaging 8.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in 20.9 minutes per game. He played in 142 games during his four years at Syracuse averaging 7.4 points on .560 shooting, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 22.0 minutes.”
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