Koby Altman: Cavs 'were marching a slow death' before trades

Koby Altman stated multiple times the Cavaliers got more talented and athletic Thursday.

The Cavaliers general manager spoke Thursday about the flurry of deals before the 3 p.m. trade deadline.

"I'm a little numb," Altman quipped Thursday evening during a media conference call, adding that he was "running on fumes."
The Cavaliers traded guard Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye and their 2018 first-round pick to the Lakers for guard Jordan Clarkson and forward Larry Nance Jr. They were just getting started.

Cleveland later orchestrated a three-team deal with the Kings and the Jazz that sent Utah's Rodney Hood and Sacramento's George Hill to Cleveland with Cavs players Jae Crowder and Derrick Rose going to Utah. The Kings acquired Joe Johnson from Utah and Iman Shumpert and a second-round pick from the Cavs.

Another trade saw veteran guard Dwyane Wade head back to the Heat in exchange for a protected 2024 second-round draft pick. The trade also creates a traded player exception for the Cavaliers in the amount of approximately $1.5 million."Did we think we were going to get this much done? No," said Altman, who added he wanted to get "youthful wings" who could play right away and felt Wade's minutes would continue to be reduced.
"I think it's obvious the goal was to get younger," Altman said. "We got more talented and certainly more athletic."

Altman said he wanted to "shuffle the deck" and re-energize the franchise. Altman said the team had lacked energy and enthusiasm and he wanted to "improve the culture."Altman thanked the traded players, specifically Shumpert and Frye. He said the new Cavs players were excited, especially Akron native Larry Nance, Jr. Altman said Nance "was in tears" when he called him about the trade and said the 25-year-old forward will be a "core piece moving forward.

The 35-year-old GM called Clarkson a "super-talented scorer and ball handler" and described Hood as a "dynamic player" who can have an immediate impact.
"We want fountains, not drains. I need to bring in fountains and I think that's what we did," Altman said, adding the younger players can rejuvenate All-Star forward LeBron James.

He's the key," Altman said, adding James offered input on who the team could acquire. "He's the guy who's going to take us back to the promised land, so we want to put the right pieces around him."
Altman believes the younger players will not only keep the Cavs sustainable for the long-term, but will convince James to finish his career with the Cavaliers."We can create a culture here that everyone can be a part of," Altman said. "These trades certainly put a wind in our sails."

Altman said he didn't want to trade Thomas, who was acquired from Boston last August in a deal that sent Kyrie Irving to the Celtics. Ultimately Altman said Thomas just wasn't "the right fit" and wanted to add more athleticism around James.

"We were marching a slow death and we didn't want to be a part of that," Altman said. "I needed to put a lot more live bodies out there with players who are quicker to the ball so we can have fun out there."We have a healthy franchise right now.