In the aftermath of all the talented pieces the Cleveland Cavaliers have added this offseason, there had to be some players who would get the short end of the stick. Whether it be being pulled out of the starting lineup or losing your spot on the team, there were going to be some worthy names performing in lesser roles this season.
One of those players turned out to be veteran Richard Jefferson who the Cavs shipped off to the Atlanta Hawks as part of a trade. A member of the Cavs for the past two seasons, Jefferson was able to fill in at either forward spot off the bench and always brought his veteran savvy to the court. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin however, this wasn’t the first time the Cavs have debated on whether or not to keep Jefferson:
He was nearly traded the summer after the championship because he revealed what the Cavs’ rings looked like on his Snapchat account before the team was ready to release them to the public. Then-GM David Griffin was so ticked that he was ready to ship him out of town, sources told ESPN, before eventually calming down and accepting Jefferson’s apology.
Even before David Griffin was ready to trade Jefferson, the 37 yeard old had already contemplated his future earlier on that same offseason when he mulled retirement. Jefferson was eventually talked back into joining the Cavs for this most recent season where they fell short to the Golden State Warriors.
Now with the expectation that he’ll be cut by Atlanta, Jefferson will either pursue a role with another NBA team or go into retirement after a rock solid 17-year NBA tenure.
