Analysis: Cavs acquire Hawes for Clark, Sims and two second-round picks
In their continued 'playoffs or bust' quest, the Cavaliers have traded a couple of second round picks and a couple of bit players (Earl Clark and Henry Sims) on fully unguaranteed contracts for next season to Philadelphia in exchange for Spencer Hawes.
Hawes is a capable stretch-big (39.9% three-point shooting on 203 attempts this season) who will contribute on the glass, and he's an expiring contract that obviously won't eat into any of Cleveland's cap flexibility going forward. But until further notice, he's also being added to an already crowded frontcourt that includes Tristan Thompson, the currently out with a bad back Anderson Varejao, Tyler Zeller and Anthony Bennett, he's not going to provide much of anything on the defensive end for a team that already struggles to stop people, and in the grand scheme of things, throwing away second round picks for a two-month rental in a desperate attempt to snag a No. 8 seed probably isn't sound management.
Yes, making the playoffs matters to Dan Gilbert and the organization (not to mention the fans), the Cavs have won six straight, are within three games of eighth and are even within 4.5 games of the all-important six-seed in the East, but considering the quality of opponents, the streak is likely a good bit of fool's gold, and the Cavs have now traded four second rounders in the last couple of months for a couple of players who almost surely have no place in Cleveland's future.
That's a risk teams fighting for more relevant accomplishments can handle, but not one an already dysfunctional team who should be looking to stash future picks and assets but is instead going all-in for a last ditch playoff spot can. Under Sam Hinkie, the rebuilding 76ers clearly understand the value in stockpiling such picks and assets.
Under Dan Gilbert's lead and now under David Griffin's (interim) watch, the Cavaliers remain an organization that simply can't get out of its own way.
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