In a shocking series of deals, the Cleveland Cavaliers traded six players – Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye, Jae Crowder, Derrick Rose, Iman Shumpert and Dwyane Wade – plus a protected 2018 first-round pick and a 2020 second-round pick in exchange for four players – Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Rodney Hood and George Hill – plus a 2024 protected second-round pick with three teams on Thursday, right before the 2018 NBA trade deadline. 

In about 30 minutes, Cleveland sent away six players, blowing up their entire roster in a swift series of moves.  According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Cavaliers entered "serious talks" with the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday morning before they sent Thomas, Frye and a 2018 first-round pick to the Lakers for Clarkson and Nance Jr.

In the meantime, Cleveland had completed a three-team deal with the Sacramento Kings and the Utah Jazz in which the Cavaliers acquired Hood and Hill, the Kings received Joe Johnson and the Jazz received Crowder and Rose.

The last player to move was Dwyane Wade who was sent back to the Miami Heat where he spent the majority of his career, for a "heavily protected" 2024 second-round pick.

With its disappointing season, the Cavaliers have frequently been mentioned in trade rumors. After losing Kyrie Irving last summer, the team is currently ranked third in the Eastern Conference with 31 wins and 22 losses. It has the second worst defense in the league and the oldest players.

What made matters worse is the conflict between the team's star player LeBron James and its owner Daniel Gilbert. James was unhappy with the team's decision to fire former general manager David Griffin and the Kyrie Irving trade to the Celtics. He was also not satisfied with management's inability to acquire Jimmy Butler or Paul George in the offseason to help him. 

The discontent is mutual as Gilbert has enough reasons to not bend over backward for LeBron. The seed of hatred was planted back in 2010 when "King James" left Cleveland for Miami, a move that left James hated in his hometown. James has also been vocal about asking the team to find better players to support him, without making any promises of staying with the team in the future.

In the end, the trades should not come as a surprise. The team has struggled with a poor defense, players at the end of their careers and a poor-performing backcourt. 

The trades have helped fill some of their gaps, while getting rid of players – though with successful careers elsewhere – were not performing for the Cavaliers this season. 

George Hill is a good choice for point guard with his defense. Jordan Clarkson and Rodney Hood are qualified young backcourt scorers. Larry Nance Jr. can provide help with his energy and athletic talent. Unfortunately the team did not get any help on rim protection, which has been a deficiency for years.

Cleveland got rid of Isaiah Thomas, who was one of the team's biggest problems because of his catastrophic performances on defense and the failure to meet expectations on offense. The trades of Thomas and Jae Crowder almost prove that trading Irving was a huge loss to the team. 

Channing Frye was too old and slow for Cleveland, but good leverage to convince the Lakers for a trade. Iman Shumpert had been shelved with his falling performances since he signed a 40-million-US-dollar, four-year contract in 2015.

The Wade trade was unexpected as he had become one of the team's few reliable players this season. ESPN's Dave McMenamin said that the team asked if Wade would agree to reducing his time and role on the court if Clarkson and Nance Jr. joined the team. In response, Wade told the team he wanted to be traded to Miami. The Cavs made the deal easy enough by getting only a 2024 protected second-round pick. Miami's general manager Pat Riley expressed a warm welcome to the return of "the Flash."

A one-time league MVP, Derrick Rose has been plagued by injuries since his 2010-2011 season. Sources report that the Utah Jazz plan to waive Rose right after the trade, and it's expected that the Minnesota Timberwolves will pick him up. The team is coached by Tom Thibodeau who was also Rose's coach in 2011 when he became NBA's youngest MVP.