The Cleveland Cavaliers have landed forward/center Marreese Speights, guard Wayne Ellington, guard Josh Selby and a first-round draft pick from the Memphis Grizzlies for forward Jon Leuer, the team announced Tuesday.
“Marreese will strengthen our front court, while Wayne and Josh will add depth to our back court. At the same time, we are adding a valuable asset with another future first round pick, while also maintaining our future flexibility,” Cavaliers general manager Chris Grant said in a statement. “We wish Jon and Jeremy (Pargo, who was also waived) the best as they move on with their careers and thank them for their time with us here in Cleveland.”
The deal allows the Grizzlies to slice $6 million in payroll and get under the luxury tax threshold. Speights has averaged 6.5 points and 4.7 rebounds as a big man off the bench for the Grizzlies, but earns $4.2 million this season. He has a $4.5 million player option for next season. Ellington has averaged 5.5 points in 40 games off the bench for the Grizzlies. Selby has only played in 10 games this season, averaging two points. Leuer has played in nine games, averaging 2.4 points.