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Cavs Trade Troubled West To Timberwolves
July 27, 2010 By Todd Shapiro
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The Cleveland Cavaliers made the first big move of the post-LeBron era Monday trading guards Delonte West and Sebastian Telfair to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for guard Ramon Sessions, center Ryan Hollins and a second round pick in 2013.
Sessions averaged 8.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game off the bench in Minnesota last season. Hollins played in 73 games, starting in 27, for the Timberwolves in 2009-10 averaging 6.1 points and 2.8 rebounds in 16.8 minutes per contest.
"In Ramon, we're excited to add a young, multi-dimensional guard, and with Ryan, we're adding a young, athletic center. We think both Ramon and Ryan are really good fits for this team. We're also happy to add another asset for the future with the additional draft pick," said Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant. "At the same time, we'd like to thank Sebastian and Delonte and wish them well in the future."
Minnesota will get West, who came off the bench for the Cavs, averaging 8.8 points and 2.8 rebounds a game and Telfair who only played four games for Cleveland after being acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers in a three-team trade in February that also saw the Cavaliers acquire forward Antawn Jamison.
West was an important part of the Cleveland team that advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2009. In that season West started 64 games, averaging 11.7 points and 3.5 assists per game.
Despite his recent legal troubles West, who is currently serving house arrest after pleading guilty to weapons charges in Maryland, was attractive to other NBA teams because of a $500,000 buyout clause in his expiring contract that can be exercised before the start of the 2010-11 season.
Sessions, a South Carolina native, played the first two season of his NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks where he became the first player in franchise history to score 20 points and record 20 assists in the same game. He had a career-high 44 points on February 7, 2009 against the Detroit Pistons. He was a restricted free agent prior to the 09-10 season and signed a four-year, $16 million contract with the Timberwolves.
Hollins played with Charlotte and Dallas prior to also signing with Minnesota as a restricted free agent last off-season. The 7-foot center is a career 54 percent shooter who has averaged 3.9 points and 2.2 rebounds per game in his four-year career.
