The Los Angeles Lakers have acquired guard Isaiah Thomas, forward Channing Frye and a top-three-protected 2018 first round draft pick from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for guard Jordan Clarkson and forward Larry Nance Jr., it was announced today by General Manager Rob Pelinka.
Thomas appeared in 15 games (14 starts) for Cleveland this season, averaging 14.7 points, 4.5 assists and 2.1 rebounds in 27.1 minutes. The two-time NBA All-Star (2015-17) owns career averages of 19.0 points (.441 FG%), 5.1 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 456 career games (323 starts). In 2016-17, Thomas earned All-NBA Second Team honors when he averaged a career-high 28.9 points (.463 FG%) per game.
Drafted eighth overall by New York in 2005, Frye has played in 845 career games (439 starts) for New York, Portland, Phoenix, Orlando and Cleveland, with averages of 9.0 points (.442 FG%, .387 3FG), 4.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. The 2016 NBA Champion appeared in 44 games (one start) for the Cavaliers this season, notching 4.8 points (.497 FG%) and 2.5 rebounds in 12.4 minutes.
Clarkson (6-5, 194) has appeared in 53 games (two starts) for Los Angeles this season, averaging 14.5 points on .448 shooting from the field, 3.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 23.7 minutes per game. He ranks second in the NBA in points per game off the bench (14.4) and has scored in double figures 39 times in 2017-18, including 12 games with 20 points or more. The 6-5 guard has averaged double figures in scoring in each of his four seasons, owning career averages of 14.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 28.1 minutes over 273 games (138 starts). The fourth-year guard from Missouri was the 46th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by Washington before being traded on draft night to the Lakers, where he went on to earn NBA All-Rookie First Team honors.
Nance Jr. (6-9, 230) has played in 42 contests (17 starts) for the Lakers in 2017-18, averaging career highs in points per game (8.6), field goal percentage (.601), rebounds per game (6.8) and steals per game (1.40) in 22.0 minutes. He has six double-doubles and has scored in double figures on 17 occasions this season. The Akron, Ohio native was the 27th overall pick out of Wyoming by Los Angeles in the 2015 NBA Draft and owns career averages of 6.9 points on .547 shooting, 5.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.16 steals in 21.6 minutes per game.
