This week, the Cleveland Browns stunned the Cleveland fan base with its sudden early season trade of last year's #3 overall pick in the NFL Draft, running back Trent Richardson. With a record of 0-2, the team also announced that last year's other first round draft pick--injured quarterback Brandon Weeden--will be replaced in the starting lineup by third string quarterback Brian Hoyer. The underlying message of these moves was the unpopular yet too frequently heard message in Cleveland sports history: "There's always next year."
Closer to Quicken Loans Arena, the Cleveland Indians are further along in their rebuilding efforts, battling for a wild card berth for a one-game playoff in the MLB postseason. Although the team released free agent signings Mark Reynolds and Brett Myers, other key acquisitions over the past few years--such as infielder Asdrubal Cabrera, outfielders Michael Brantley and Michael Bourn, infielder/outfielder Nick Swisher, and pitchers Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Chris Perez--have played key roles in the Indians' success this season.
As baseball season winds down and football season fades into oblivion in Cleveland, basketball season rapidly approaches. The Cleveland Cavaliers have had quite the offseason. In a somewhat surprising move, the team fired head coach Byron Scott and replaced him with his predecessor in Cleveland, Mike Brown. Next, after winning the NBA Draft Lottery for the second time in 3 years, the Cavaliers drafted forward Anthony Bennett and swingmen Sergey Karasev and Carrick Felix. Then, the Cavaliers signed arguably their best class of free agents: Jarrett Jack, Earl Clark, and Andrew Bynum. Needless to say, the future looks bright and Cavs fans have high hopes this season.
Yet, for the fourth straight offseason, the question has been posed: "Should the Cavaliers trade Anderson Varejao?" The Browns' sudden trade of Richardson only adds more fuel to this trade debate.
So, how comparable is the trade discussion around Anderson Varejao to the decision to trade Trent Richardson?
Despite playing different sports, there are some similarities.
>>Both players have versatile skill sets.
Richardson is a running back who combines power, speed, quickness, and agility out of the backfield with the ability to catch passes and gain yards after catch. He has also shown potential as a blocker for pass protection.
Closer to Quicken Loans Arena, the Cleveland Indians are further along in their rebuilding efforts, battling for a wild card berth for a one-game playoff in the MLB postseason. Although the team released free agent signings Mark Reynolds and Brett Myers, other key acquisitions over the past few years--such as infielder Asdrubal Cabrera, outfielders Michael Brantley and Michael Bourn, infielder/outfielder Nick Swisher, and pitchers Justin Masterson, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Chris Perez--have played key roles in the Indians' success this season.
As baseball season winds down and football season fades into oblivion in Cleveland, basketball season rapidly approaches. The Cleveland Cavaliers have had quite the offseason. In a somewhat surprising move, the team fired head coach Byron Scott and replaced him with his predecessor in Cleveland, Mike Brown. Next, after winning the NBA Draft Lottery for the second time in 3 years, the Cavaliers drafted forward Anthony Bennett and swingmen Sergey Karasev and Carrick Felix. Then, the Cavaliers signed arguably their best class of free agents: Jarrett Jack, Earl Clark, and Andrew Bynum. Needless to say, the future looks bright and Cavs fans have high hopes this season.
Yet, for the fourth straight offseason, the question has been posed: "Should the Cavaliers trade Anderson Varejao?" The Browns' sudden trade of Richardson only adds more fuel to this trade debate.
So, how comparable is the trade discussion around Anderson Varejao to the decision to trade Trent Richardson?
Despite playing different sports, there are some similarities.
>>Both players have versatile skill sets.
Meanwhile, Varejao is a post player who is able to play both power forward and center on offense and defense. He combines power, quickness, agility, vision, and playmaking ability with a very high basketball IQ. He can score from the post, under the basket, off the dribble, off the pass, and from midrange. His defense, rebounding, passing, and execution of the pick and roll are among the best in the league at his positions.
>>Both were acquired by previous team management groups.
Richardson was drafted by Tom Heckert and Mike Holmgren. To get Richardson, Heckert and Holmgren moved up one pick by dealing multiple draft picks last season.
Meanwhile, Varejao was drafted by the Orlando Magic and then acquired via an offseason trade by Jim Paxson prior to the start of his rookie season.
>>Both have played under multiple head coaches.
Prior to being traded to the Indianapolis Colts, Richardson played under Pat Shurmur and Rob Chudzinski and offensive coordinators Brad Childress and Norv Turner.
Meanwhile, Varejao has played under Paul Silas, Brendan Malone (interim head coach), Mike Brown, and Byron Scott.
>>Both have dealt with injuries.
Richardson has battled multiple injuries throughout his young career, especially at the pro level. This includes missing time this preseason.
Similarly, Varejao has also battled multiple injuries, missing substantial time in 6 of 9 seasons. This includes season-ending injuries/medical conditions in each of the last 3 seasons.
Aside from these similarities, though, the scenarios are much different.
>>Varejao is one of the team's leaders.
Richardson is only in his second season. He has not yet established a strong reputation and was not yet a team leader at the time of his trade.
On the other hand, Varejao is entering his 10th season. In the 3 years he missed minimal time due to injuries, the Cavaliers won the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals; won 66 games in the regular season before losing in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals; and won 61 games in the regular season before the Game 5 "LeQuittal" and "The Decision" in 2010. In 2011-2012, the Cavs were contending for a playoff berth until Varejao suffered a season-ending injury during the lockout-shortened season.
>>Varejao is at the heart of the team's identity.
While the Browns have fielded competitive defenses in most of the years of their new expansion era, their offense again lacks an identity. Despite his versatility, Richardson did not appear to fit the new administration's description of an ideal running back in their system. Overall, the Browns have not really had a team culture in place during the expansion era.
In both coach Scott's and coach Brown's systems, Varejao is an ideal fit. Not only is Varejao versatile, but he hustles, works hard, works well with his teammates, communicates well, and keeps on improving. He is the heart of their defense and, overall, is at the heart of the team. Furthermore, like Zydrunas Ilgauskas in coach Brown's first stint with the Cavs, Varejao is the link between the team's last playoff run and its pending playoff run. Varejao knows what it is like to win and to compete for an NBA championship and can help instill a winning attitude and winning habits into the young Cavaliers team.
>>Varejao was a hidden gem.
Richardson was the #3 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. He was a Heisman Trophy candidate and was regarded as one of the best players in college football during his time at Alabama, winning 2 national championships in the process. He is paid as a top draft pick and is expected to be a top performer. Until he establishes an NFL legacy, critics and fans will continue to wonder if Richardson will be a superstar or an injury-riddled bust or something in between.
On the other hand, Varejao was a 2nd round pick in the 2004 NBA Draft and was a secondary piece in his trade to the Cavaliers--when Cleveland acquired Drew Gooden as a replacement for Carlos Boozer. Few people had heard of Varejao prior to the Gooden trade. While Varejao showed promise during his rookie season, "The Wild Thing" was projected to be a marginal role player at best. Yet, he has risen his overall level of play to All-Star caliber level, with his defense earning him NBA All-Defensive Team honors in 2009-2010.
>>The Cavaliers' front office and management are stable and their rebuilding plan is steady.
Since the new Browns expansion era began in 1999, the team has had 6 different front office teams and 7 different head coaches (including interim head coach Terry Robiskie). As a result of the front office/management turnover every 2-4 years, the Browns have continuously changed team building philosophies and game day strategies. In the process, they have started 19 different quarterbacks in the past 14 years. Complicating matters, current Browns owner Jimmy Haslam III enthusiastically took over for former apathetic owner Randy Lerner (son of original new Browns owner, the late Al Lerner), only to have a massive scandal and fraud investigation arise at his main company, Pilot Flying J, only months after taking over the team. The scandal is so bad that Forbes.com published an article speculating that the Richardson trade is linked to the legal debts of Pilot Flying J.
On the other hand, the Cavaliers managed to establish stability in their front office and management in 2005, when current Cavs owner Dan Gilbert took over the team for Gordon Gund--who along with his brother George had helped save the Cavs franchise during the 1980s. Gilbert hired Mike Brown as his head coach and then brought in Danny Ferry to be general manager--who in turn brought a number of talented personnel to the Cavaliers front office, including current general manager Chris Grant. Gilbert further helped his local reputation by improving the quality of game day in-arena experiences of fans and, outside of basketball, endorsing Ohio's efforts to legalize casino/racino gambling.
Unlike previous general managers Paxson and Ferry, Grant has shown a commitment to building the team's foundation via the draft. The Cavs are currently executing a rebuilding plan in which they are transitioning from the 'Lebron James Era' to the 'Kyrie Irving Era'. Varejao helps connect the 2 eras while helping groom the new wave of young talent: Irving, Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters, Tyler Zeller, Bennett, Karasev, and Felix. Irving, Waiters, and Zeller all got to train with Team USA this summer while Thompson played with Team Canada during the FIBA Americas tournament. Brown--who coached the team for 5 years from 2006-2010--returns as head coach after Byron Scott's 3 year term as coach. As such, there is much more continuity and stability in the Cavaliers' organization than in the Browns' organization.
Clearly, Anderson Varejao is not in the same situation as Trent Richardson. The Cavaliers are in much better shape as a franchise than the Browns. Although the debate about trading Varejao has carried on for a few years, his value to the franchise is evident and clear. As tempting as it is for analysts and fans to trade Varejao while he is still considered 'young' and 'healthy', his value to bringing the Cavaliers back to playoff basketball is too high to send him away. He belongs in Cleveland, and Cleveland belongs in the playoffs.