Cleveland Sent Alonzo Gee to New Orleans for a Conditional Second
The Cavaliers traded swingman Alonzo Gee to New Orleans on July 11, 2014, for a 2016 second-round choice protected through No. 55. The pick had originated with the Clippers and would become payable only if the specified protection were satisfied. Cleveland was trying to gain salary flexibility after LeBron James announced his return, while the Pelicans were assembling contract pieces for other trades. Contemporary reporting says Gee's contract could be moved or waived, making the deal a financial transaction as much as a basketball one. No first-round choice or ready New Orleans player was sent to Cleveland. The exact protection matters because the second-round selection ultimately never conveyed, leaving Cleveland without an eventual draftee from this transaction.
Gee Was Re-Traded Four Days Later Instead of Playing for the Pelicans
On July 15, 2014, the Pelicans included Gee in a three-team agreement with Houston and Washington that brought center Omer Asik and forward Omri Casspi to New Orleans, as the club's official announcement confirms. Gee was one of several outbound assets, alongside Scotty Hopson and a protected first-rounder. He never played a Pelicans regular-season game during that four-day stay. Still, New Orleans had acquired a veteran contract it could use to complete a larger frontcourt move, which gave the initial July 11 agreement transactional value. It would be inaccurate to credit New Orleans with Asik's entire later playing contribution as though Gee alone had brought him in; multiple other assets were included in that subsequent transaction. His earlier Cleveland career also cannot be treated as New Orleans box-score output.
The Future Pick Expired Without a Cleveland Draft Selection
Cleveland never received the conditional 2016 second-round choice because its protection was not met. It did remove Gee's contract and free resources while assembling a different roster, which explains why the club might have accepted the arrangement. The Cavaliers B- grade therefore rests on payroll flexibility rather than an eventual drafted center or wing. New Orleans also gets B- in the inherited assessment despite being named Pelicans Win, a preference for its rapid reuse of Gee's contract. Neither team obtained a direct multi-season NBA scorer from the two-team agreement. The Pelicans utilized the incoming contract to complete the later Asik deal; Cleveland avoided salary obligations without turning the protected pick into a named player. These are distinguishable transaction outcomes rather than equal game totals.
Final Verdict
Pelicans Win under the inherited label despite equal B- grades. New Orleans acquired Alonzo Gee, then moved him again four days later as part of a larger Omer Asik trade. Cleveland gained salary relief and a top-55-protected 2016 second that never conveyed. There were no Pelicans playing minutes from Gee himself.