NBA Trades: Winners and Losers of J.J. Hickson and Omri Casspi Trade
The Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers executed a trade on Thursday afternoon, as the Cavs sent PF J.J. Hickson & a conditional first-round draft pick to the Cavs in exchange for SF Omri Casspi.
Although the Kings look to be the clear winner of this trade at first glance, the Cavs acquired some much-needed help on the wing and stockpiled another future first-rounder as they look to compete in the future.
The deal will have a rippling effect through the league both now and for the next few seasons, and it should be interesting to see how each player does in his new home.
Loser: Omri Casspi
1 of 4Omri Casspi provides the Cavaliers with some help on the perimeter and with a running mate for new point guard Kyrie Irving, but the Cavs aren't going to compete anytime soon in a crowded Eastern Conference.
Casspi goes from a rapidly improving Sacramento team that is clearly looking for a playoff berth to a Cleveland squad that is a long way from making it out of the draft lottery.
Although Casspi will finally get his chance to be a starting small forward and play major minutes, he didn't exactly flourish with that opportunity last season, averaging just 10.7 points and 5.2 rebounds in 27 games with the starting five.
Winner: J.J. Hickson
2 of 4After the All-Star break of the 2010-11 campaign, J.J. Hickson averaged 16.9 points, 10.8 rebounds and shot 48 percent from the field.
Although his offensive role will likely shrink next season in Sacramento as he has to share the ball with a number of other attractive options, he should still threaten to post a double-double nightly for the new look Kings.
He finally gets a chance to go to a team that truly believes in his game, and at just 22 years old, he hasn't even come close to scraping the surface of his potential yet.
Loser: Cleveland Cavaliers
3 of 4The Cavs just traded a player in J.J. Hickson that they reportedly refused to include in a package for Amar'e Stoudemire when LeBron James was still in town.
Granted that they received a future first-rounder as part of the deal, the swap represents a serious downgrade in talent along the front line.
The Cavs must really believe in the future of no. 4 pick Tristan Thompson and his ability to contribute immediately, and he better deliver in a hurry for Cleveland.
Otherwise, this deal is going to be absolutely picked apart and General Manager Chris Grant will have a lot of questions to answer.
Winner: Sacramento Kings
4 of 4The Sacramento Kings' outlook just got a whole lot brighter entering next season.
The club could now potentially open the 2011-12 campaign with a starting five of Tyreke Evans, Marcus Thornton, John Salmons, J.J. Hickson and DeMarcus Cousins, an incredible blend of young talent capable of putting up a large amount of points in a hurry.
It's a very promising time to be a Kings fan, and in a year that they need to prove the city is fully behind them in an effort to prevent a potential move out of town, they're really putting the pedal to the medal and undertaking a full-out effort to leave a lasting mark.
