By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher
The Los Angeles Lakers have traded center JaVale McGee to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. In exchange, the Lakers received Alfonzo McKinnie and Jordan Bell.
Both Bell and McKinnie are on non-guaranteed contracts. In order for the Lakers to make this deal work, they will have to make part of their contracts guaranteed.
McGee became expendable as the Lakers were courting free agent center Marc Gasol. He signed a two-year deal with Los Angeles.
Gasol signed a two-year deal that is really a one-year deal with a one-year option. The Lakers take on a full $2.6 million cap hit by signing Gasol to a two-year deal.
McGee was a first-round draft pick by the Washington Wizards in the 2008 NBA Draft. Since being drafted by the Wizards, the 32-year-old has bounced around in his career.
He will be going to his seventh NBA team if he plays for the Cavaliers during the 2020-21 season beginning in December. Before joining the Lakers, he spent time with the Wizards, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, and the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Flint, Michigan born player is a three-time NBA Champion. He won two of those championships with the Warriors, before being apart of the Lakers team that won the 2020 NBA Championship.
This past season, he made 68 starts for the Lakers. He averaged 6.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.5 steals, and 1.4 blocks in 16.6 minutes per game.
In his career, McGee has appeared in 701 games, including 317 starts. He has averaged 7.9 points per game with 5.1 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.4 steals, and 1.5 blocks in 17.3 minutes per game.
McKinnie will be on his fourth NBA team in four seasons if he stays with the Lakers. He previously played for the Toronto Raptors, Warriors, and Cavaliers.
This past season, he appeared in 40 games, including one start. He averaged 4.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.6 steals, and 0.2 blocks in 14.8 minutes per game.
He has appeared in 126 games, including six tarts. He has a career average of 4.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.2 blocks in 13.1 minutes per game.
Bell was a former second round draft pick by the Chicago Bulls in the 2017 NBA Draft. The Los Angeles, California-born player would play for his fourth NBA team if he remains with the Lakers.
He spent time with the Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Memphis Grizzlies.
This past season, he split time with the Timberwolves and Grizzlies. He appeared in 29 games.
Bell averaged 3.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.1 steals, and 0.3 blocks in 8.8 minutes over 29 games.
In his career, he has appeared in 154 games, including 16 starts. Bell has a career average of 3.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 12 minutes per game.
