CLEVELAND, Ohio – Scribbles in my Cavaliers notebook after they traded Larry Nance Jr. to Portland as part of a three-way deal. Coming to the Cavs is Chicago’s Lauri Markkanen.
1. Any trade involving Larry Nance Jr. leaving Cleveland would produce the same response from my wife Roberta. She heard of the deal and texted me: OH NO!!!
2. As many who have followed the Cavaliers for years know, Nance is part of the team’s royal family. Larry Nance Sr. was a star when I covered the team for the Akron Beacon Journal in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I watched Nance Jr. play for Revere High a few times.
3. I’m not writing that this is a terrible deal. After the Cavs re-signed 7-foot Jarrett Allen and then drafted 7-foot Evan Mobley, the 6-foot-9 Nance became more expendable. Nance has improved his outside shooting, but that’s not the strength of his game. In the 3-point-obsessed NBA, power forwards are supposed to be “Stretch 4′s” launching shots from behind the 3-point line. The Cavs have no one to do that, at least not when Kevin Love is out.
4. What about Love? An NBA source told me the Cavs were making progress toward a buyout for Love, who has two years and $60 million left on his contract. But the Cavs and other NBA sources have strongly denied it. This likely just another Kevin Love rumor, and there have been so many over the years. At some point, a buyout for Love make sense for both parties. No clue when that will happen.
5. The 7-foot Markkanen is the classic “Stretch-4.” Playing for the Bulls last season, he shot .402 on 3-pointers. He took more 3-point shots per game (5.8) than 2-pointers (4.4). So he appears to be a better fit than Nance with Mobley and Allen (who don’t shoot many 3-pointers).
6. In 26 games as a starter last season, Markkanen averaged 17.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and shot .478 from the field. He is a talented scorer. When motivated, he can be a decent rebounder. He’s only 24. Defense ... well, that’s a sore subject.
7. Markkanen lost his starting spot after the Bulls traded for Nikola Vucevic. Markkanen signed a four-year deal worth $67 million (not all guaranteed) as part of the sign-and-trade. So this is a fresh start for a former No. 7 pick in 2017. For his career, Markkanen has averaged 15.6 points and 7.1 rebounds in 221 games.
8. That said, Nance brought much to the Cavs beyond scoring. As one NBA scout told me, “Larry is the best player in the trade. He is an elite defender. He is unselfish. Analytics loves all the little things he does on the court, and so do coaches. But Markkanen does bring very good outside shooting. Larry has battled a lot of injuries.”
9. The biggest challenge for Nance has been staying healthy. He has missed 70 games in the last three seasons. The 2020-21 season was extremely frustrating because of various injuries, as he was out for 37 games. But his leadership will be missed. He has to be the only player in NBA history to be happy when traded from the Lakers to Cleveland.
10. The fans in Portland will absolutely love Nance. He is everything you want in a teammate. I miss him already. As for Markkanen, let’s see if the Cavs can help him become a part of three young big men with Mobley and Allen.
Note: This story has been updated with new information on a Kevin Love buyout – which does not seem likely in the near future.
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