Thursday, February 23, 2006

The Flip side

It turns out thing aren't exactly what they seemed on the Cavaliers trade front this evening.
The Cavs aren't really getting Lee Nailon, but they are getting scoring swingman Ronald "Flip" Murray, acquired from Seattle for Mike Wilks.
Nailon, it turns out, was acquired as a favor from Danny Ferry to 76ers GM Billy King. The Cavs received Nailon and a 2006 second round pick from Philadelphia for a conditional second-round pick. Acquiring Nailon gives the Sixers some luxury tax relief, and gives the Cavs an extra draft pick.
Nailon, who hasn't played since being arrested in connection with a domestic dispute last month, will likely not suit up for the Cavs, Ferry said on Cleveland radio station WTAM earlier this evening. He might be released or his contract bought out.
Murray, on the other hand, was acquired for basketball purposes. The 6'-4" shooting guard is averaging just under 10 points per game this season. He isn't a great outside shooter, hitting three-pointers to a 22-percent clip, but he can score, shooting 40 percent from the field overall.
In essence, Murray looks to be a poor man's Larry Hughes, which should suit the Cavs just fine. If a combination of Murray and Sasha Pavlovic can plug Hughes' hole for the rest of the regular season, Cleveland should earn a fourth- or fifth-seed playoff berth with little difficulty.
Murray's acquisition is likely a short-term deal. He is a free agent at the end of the season, and with all the other contract extensions and offers on the Cavs' plate, the chance of Murray staying put in Cleveland beyond this year is probably slim.
But first things first. The Cavs are trying to get to the playoffs, and maybe still be playing in May. That's why Murray was acquired.

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