![Former Cavaliers players takes shots at Cavs [Image by Erik Drost / Flickr]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2018/2/12/660x290/b_502x220x82/former-cavaliers-players-takes-shots-at-cavs-image-by-erik-drost-flickr_1828875.jpg "Former Cavaliers players takes shots at Cavs [Image by Erik Drost / Flickr]")
When the Cleveland Cavaliers traded away six of their veteran players for four young and athletic stars, no one knew it would work out this well. In their first game together as a team, the new-look Cavaliers put up 121 points against the first-place Boston Celtics while limiting Boston to just 40.4-percent shooting from the field. It was an impressive performance and shows that maybe Cleveland knew what they were doing when they traded away their older players for fresh young talent. However, one of the veterans that the Cavs shipped off made recent comments that indicate that he is happy to be out of Cleveland.
Who is taking shots at the Cavaliers?
When the Cleveland Cavaliers started the new season, they were already starting with a new-look, as they traded away their second-best player in Kyrie Irving for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder and the Brooklyn Nets first-round draft pick. While they held onto the important draft pick, Isaiah Thomas seems happy to be gone from the Cavaliers and Jae Crowder came out in an interview and took some veiled shots at his former team.
In the interview, Jae Crowder said that he happy to be with the Utah Jazz, where he said that he "got back to having fun" by playing basketball with a "great group of guys." Crowder also said that the coach gives the players a lot of freedom and he loves it.
Jae also said that he loves "playing within a system."
The Cleveland Cavaliers sent Jae Crowder to the Utah Jazz as part of the trade that netted them Rodney Hood. In his first game with the Jazz, Crowder scored 15 points with five rebounds and three assists against the Portland Trail Blazers. His average on the season is 8.7 points and 3.3 rebounds-per-game.
As for Isaiah Thomas, he now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers and had his best game of the season with 22 points and six assists from the bench in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks. However, Thomas said the trade helped him get his powers back. However, he had time to check out his Instagram account and saw a video of Kyrie Irving crossing up LeBron James on Sunday and scoring a big bucket.
Thomas liked what he saw. Of course, the Cleveland Cavaliers won, so LeBron got the last laugh.
The Cavaliers outlook for the season
The Utah Jazz (28-28) have won both games since the NBA trade deadline and have moved to .500 on the NBA season. They are now 1.5 games out of a playoff spot. On the other hand, the Cleveland Cavaliers are 33-22 and are six games out of first place in the Eastern Conference. Add to that the fact that the Cavs beating the Boston Celtics dropped Boston to second-place in the conference.
While Jae Crowder said that he is happy to be having fun in the NBA again, there was also the statements by LeBron James last Friday that indicated that he felt that the Cleveland Cavaliers were about to get fun again.
Obviously, the trade that brought Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder to Cleveland did not work out for anyone involved. Now, it seems the new moves might help all parties, as everyone seems happier with their new teammates.
