Cleveland Acquired a Former Mid-First-Round Forward
The Cavaliers received Cedric Simmons from the Hornets on September 29, 2007, sending veteran guard David Wesley to New Orleans. Simmons had been selected fifteenth overall in the 2006 NBA draft, and Cleveland saw an opportunity to evaluate a younger power forward with defensive potential. The original imported transaction also lists cash on the New Orleans side, although club transaction histories describe the player swap without specifying a payment. This was a roster and financial adjustment for both teams, not an exchange of established frontcourt starters.
Simmons Played Seven Cleveland Games Before Another Trade
The Cavaliers gave Simmons only seven regular-season appearances in 2007-08, without a start. He averaged 9.7 minutes and 0.6 points, a total of roughly sixty-eight minutes and four points. Cleveland also assigned him to its developmental affiliate while looking for ways to use its deep bench. He was then included in a larger February 2008 three-team deal that brought multiple veterans to the Cavaliers. His contract was one of several outgoing assets, so the later exchange's entire return cannot be credited to Simmons alone.
Wesley Never Played a New Orleans Regular-Season Game
Wesley was a familiar Hornets veteran from years earlier in his career, but the September 2007 acquisition did not become a playing reunion. On October 29, before the regular season, New Orleans sent his contract to New Jersey for Mile Ilić and Bernard Robinson. The Hornets waived both incoming players that same day. That onward transaction illustrates limited use as a movable contract, not a route to NBA points or starts. Wesley's earlier Hornets career and Cleveland experience both belong to periods before this particular trade.
Small Playing Return Versus Brief Contract Flexibility
Cleveland got a former first-round forward and tried him in seven games before using his contract in a later transaction. New Orleans received a veteran contract it could immediately move, while the two players in the next exchange were waived. Neither side gained lasting rotation depth. The original B grades appear too generous given the minimal direct basketball results. It would be equally misleading to award Cleveland a decisive win for Simmons's handful of outings or to invent an amount for the disputed cash component. Matching modest grades reflect the evidence.
Final Verdict
Even Trade. Cleveland receives C+ for Cedric Simmons's seven games and roughly sixty-eight minutes before another transaction. New Orleans earns C+ for briefly using David Wesley's contract in a subsequent October exchange, with the originally recorded cash component unquantified. Neither team received an enduring rotation player, so the inherited matching B grades overstated both sides.