Cleveland Exchanged Allen Crabbe for Two Future Seconds
Cleveland selected California guard Allen Crabbe 31st overall in the 2013 draft and traded his rights to Portland. The Cavaliers received second-round selections in 2015 and 2016 instead of bringing the wing to training camp. Those two choices ultimately resolved as No. 53 Sir'Dominic Pointer and No. 48 Paul Zipser, respectively. The exchange let Cleveland break a single immediate prospect into two future draft assets, while Portland secured the right to develop a particular shooter.
Crabbe Became a Productive Portland Perimeter Player
Crabbe earned a lasting rotation role with the Trail Blazers and provided outside shooting during several seasons with the club. That return gave Portland more direct NBA playing value than it would have received from a prospect who never reached the roster. The C+ grade recognizes a useful second-round acquisition without exaggerating it into a franchise-altering star. His Portland work should be judged separately from contracts and production acquired with other franchises later in his career.
Cleveland Used the Picks as Assets Before Draft Day
Cleveland later included the two incoming second-round choices in its January 2014 trade with Chicago for Luol Deng. That matters when evaluating the original 2013 exchange: the Cavaliers did not themselves draft and develop Pointer or Zipser with these selections. They held transferable options that helped assemble a more immediate veteran acquisition. Cleveland's C+ reflects that subsequent draft-capital utility, rather than attributing Pointer's or Zipser's playing time on unrelated NBA teams to the Cavaliers.
Final Verdict
Even Trade. Cleveland gets C+ for two future seconds eventually incorporated into the Luol Deng trade. Portland also earns C+ for Allen Crabbe's useful wing tenure after receiving his rights at No. 31. The Cavaliers realized transferable draft value, while the Blazers obtained direct perimeter production.