The Cavaliers trade veteran Richard Jefferson to the Atlanta Hawks
What's the story?
The Cavaliers have agreed to trade veteran forward Richard Jefferson and second-year point guard Kay Felder to the Atlanta Hawks the move was made to save money and get their roster to 15. The Vertical's Shams Charania was the first to report it:
In Case you didn't know
Richard Jefferson signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers on August 5, 2015. He started in Game 3 of the 2016 NBA finals in place of the injured Kevin love and provide nine points and eight rebounds in 33 minutes of play that helped the Cavs get their first win of the series. Cleveland would go on and win the series despite being down 3-1.
After winning his first NBA Championship Jefferson considered retirement but decided against it and signed a two-year deal worth around five million dollars. Now with the Cavs getting Jae Crowder, Jeff Green, and Cedi Osman, Jefferson services were no longer needed. By trading him and not releasing him, they saved 12.8 dollars in luxury tax.
What's next?
The Cavaliers will receive the rights of two European players and receive a 2.6 and 1.4 million dollars trade exception. As for the Atlanta Hawks, the received 3.7 million dollars from Cleveland and will waive both Jefferson and Kay Felder, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
As to where both players will land, it's hard to tell for Felder but Jefferson could retire or join a Golden State Warriors, San Antiono Spurs, OKC Thunder or Houston Rockets.
Authors Take?
I think Richard Jefferson was just what the Cavs needed when he was in Cleveland. He competed hard on the defensive end and could spread the floor on the offensive end. He was beloved by all of Cleveland because of the effort he brought every night despite his age.