Jan 12, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Memphis Grizzlies power forward Marreese Speights (5) shoots the ball over Dallas Mavericks power forward Elton Brand (42) during the game at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Grizzlies 104-83. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

And it’s final. With rumors of a deal brewing between the Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavaliers early Tuesday morning, a trade between the two teams has finally come to fruition. With that said, Cavalier fans should be extremely happy about this one. The Grizzlies were in talks with teams regarding their current situation with Rudy Gay, who is owed $17.8 million and $19.3 million over the next two seasons respectively. Those problems seem to have been solved with one crafty trade, which includes no superstar names, with the Cavs.

When power forward Kevin Jones was assigned to Cleveland’s D-League team — the Canton Charge — it was evident that a trade would happen soon. That speculation ending up being true, as Cleveland has received three bench players in Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington and Josh Selby from Memphis, along with a 2015 first round draft pick according to the official team website. The Cavaliers sent over the hardly-utilized forward Jon Leuer and Memphis was able to shed the $6 million that puts them under the luxury tax threshold.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN was one of the first to report on the trade:

Just filed to ESPN: Cavs & Grizzlies are in talks on a deal that would send Marreese Speights & Josh Selby for Jon Leuer. Picks involved

— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) January 22, 2013

First, let’s clear up some information about the pick that the Cavs have received:

• As of right now, the pick is a 2015 first rounder
• It is protected from picks 1-5 and 15-30 in 2015 and 2016, which means when the Cavaliers do receive the pick it will be of the lottery variety
• If the above scenario does in fact not happen, the pick carries over into 2017 and 2018, when it will become protected only from picks 1-5
• If Memphis doesn’t end up in the 6-14 range in 2015/2016 or in the 6-30 range in 2017/2018, the pick will carry over until 2019
• If Cleveland doesn’t receive their pick once it reaches the 2019 NBA Draft, it becomes unprotected

Jan 19, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Memphis Grizzlies shooting guard Wayne Ellington (3) with the ball during the second quarter against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Even though the three players acquired in the trade won’t be available to play tonight against the Boston Celtics, the Cavaliers also waived point guard Jeremy Pargo to create space. After filling in for Kyrie Irving following his left index finger earlier in the season, Pargo played sparse minutes. In fact, Pargo only played 86 minutes off the bench since Irving returned on December 11 against the Los Angeles Lakers. In the 25 games he has seen time in this season — which includes 11 starts — Pargo has averaged 7.8 points and 2.6 assists, while shooting 40.1 percent from the field.

And even though Jones was assigned to the Charge to make room for a possible trade with the implications such as this one, he has been recalled to get ride of the gaping hole that is on the roster until Cleveland receives the Memphis players officially. Power forward Jon Leuer was the lone Cleveland player involved in the trade, and there is no love lost in dealing him away. He only appeared in nine games for the Cavaliers and averaged 2.4 points and 1.4 rebounds. Again, Leuer was splitting time between Canton and Cleveland before finally being whisked away. He wasn’t able to get the job done on a depleted frontcourt, so his utility was far down the scale.

As for the Cavaliers, they have made their bench more applicable with their acquisitons. Ellington and Selby provide depth in the backcourt, which means that Daniel Gibson could be on his way out of Cleveland. His contract expires at the end of the season and he has been battling injuries over the past few seasons. Plus, there may be a team out there looking for a guy who could provide a fourth quarter spark in the playoffs. Ellington has played in 40 games so far this season and is averaging 5.5 points, while shooting 42.3 percent from three. The backup shooting guard will most likely see time behind C.J. Miles and Dion Waiters. In contrast, Selby has only played in 10 games for the Grizzlies. He spent a couple of games with the Reno Bighorns, but he has a higher ceiling and skill set than Pargo would have had in Cleveland at the point guard position. Shaun Livingston is doing an applaudable job for now, but we could see Selby sneak in and start playing some meaningful minutes.

Speights seems to be the player that most fans are excited about. He is listed as a power forward and will most likely take minutes away from Luke Walton, according to Conrad Kaczmarek of Fear the Sword. The 6-10 Speights is currently averaging 6.6 points and 4.7 rebounds in the 40 games he has seen action in this season. He has logged, on average, 14.5 minutes throughout the 2012-13 campaign and will see extended playing time with the Cavaliers. Out of all the players that Cleveland received in the trade, fans have to be thrilled with acquiring a guy who will take added minutes away from Tyler Zeller.

Cavalier fans have to be happy about this trade. They still have expiring contracts in Luke Walton and Daniel Gibson that could end up being traded before the February 21 deadline, they made their bench better, no horrible or glaring contracts were taken on and they got what they most wanted out of the trade — a first round draft pick. Memphis may have solved their monetary issues, but Cleveland came away with the W in this one.

Jan 5, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Shaun Livingston (14) fouls Houston Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin (7) in the fourth quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The current Cleveland Cavaliers roster has a lot of faces that are not known to the average fan. Sure they may know two rookies tasked with helping Kyrie Irving resurrect the Cavaliers (Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller), but do they know the Cavs recently added a former All-Big East player who was not drafted in June?  Or how about the fact that the Wine and Gold also recently claimed a former budding star whose career was derailed by one of the most horrific knee injuries in the history of the NBA? Or what about the fact that the Cavs just recalled a former Wisconsin star was a Third Team All-American as a senior?

Kevin Jones, Shaun Livingston and Jon Leuer may not ever be household names in Cleveland, but right now, on one of the worst teams in the NBA, opportunities are aplenty for this trio of players, albeit in different ways.

So, without further adieu, get to know Jones, Livingston and Leuer

Kevin Jones

The former West Virginia Mountaineer was recalled from the Cavs D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge, on December 4^th. In Canton, where he was playing 41.0 minutes a game, Jones averaged 23.6 points and 12.6 rebounds. For his NBA career, the stats are obviously much lower (1.8 points per game, 1.4 rebounds per game, 50.0 percent shooting from the field). However, in the Cavaliers last two games against the Rockets and Bulls, head coach Byron Scott has given Jones regular minutes. In 12 minutes against Houston, Jones had six points and three rebounds in replacing an ineffective Luke Walton. Against the Bulls, Jones scored four points and had two rebounds in twenty minutes of action. Jones’ minutes are likely to be cut once Anderson Varejao returns and Zeller returns to the bench, but he could still receive minutes on a limited scale.

Jones has a nice inside-outside game at the power forward position, even if his below-average height limits it at times. He can shoot from mid-range with decent accuracy, and in his minutes in Cleveland since his return, he has been active on the boards. Jones will never be a star in the league, but he could develop into a nice role player on a contending team. I just hope the he does not become Samardo Samuels 2.0, and be banished to bench warming for undisclosed reasons.

Shaun Livingston

Livingston, once a Duke commit, was the fourth overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. While drafted as a point guard, Livingston also spent time playing shooting guard for the Clippers. While he showed potential, Livingston missed a lot of time due to injury in his first three seasons, missing 101 of 246 regular season games. That may have been a foreshadowing of what happened on February 26^th, 2007.

On that fateful day, Livingston suffered what may be the most gruesome knee injury in the history of the NBA. The injury, which saw Livingston tear his ACL, PCL, MCL, his meniscus, dislocate his patella and dislocate his tibiofemoral joint, was so graphic that ESPN had to warn its viewers ahead of time of the content in the clip.

Since the injury, Livingston has bounced around the NBA a little bit, playing for the Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies, Tulsa 66ers of the D-League, Oklahoma City Thunder, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Bobcats, Milwaukee Bucks, Houston Rockets and Washington again before ending up with Cleveland on Christmas Day. Since his arrival in Cleveland, Livingston has entered the rotation ahead of one-hit wonder Jeremy Pargo. Livingston also has received meaningful minutes ahead of Waiters, currently the Cavaliers sixth man.

Out of the three newbies, Livingston’s tenure may be the most interesting.  With his history of bouncing around the NBA, the rest of the season will likely indicate if the Cavaliers commit to him as Irving’s backup for at least next season. If he can average six points and a few assists in 10-15 minutes a game, we can call Livingston a piece of this team – for now.

Jon Leuer

Leuer has a skillset that no other Cavalier has, and it could work to his advantage in his pursuit of earning playing time. A “stretch” four with the ability to step out and hit jumpers, Leuer is a different player than any other “big” on the Cavaliers roster. At Wisconsin, he improved every season, going from averaging 2.9 points as a freshman to 18.3 as a senior. In college, Leuer’s lowest shooting percentage was 46.6 percent as a sophomore, and his highest was 52.2 percent as a junior. He also hit threes at a decent clip in college, as he made 40.5 percent in his four years as a Badger.

With Jones now receiving minutes and Varejao set to return against the Hawks on Wednesday, Leuer may not have a real window of opportunity in Cleveland. That window could be even smaller if the Cavaliers end up dealing Varejao to Oklahoma City in a deal that nets them Perry Jones III, a stretch four like Leuer. Also, working against Leuer is Scott’s favoring veterans over young talent. And with young guns Thompson, Zeller and Jones already in the mix up front, it might take an injury for Leuer to get some minutes.

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As a whole, this trio is not a group of young building blocks that will help Irving bring the Cavs back to prominence. But there is talent here, and there is potential that could be tapped with the right coaching and playing time. They all have different assets that they can bring to this team, but some have more potential than others. Jones has the highest ceiling of all, while Leuer seems like a player who may be stuck in the limbo that is the NBA D-League. Livingston’s height makes him a favorable backup at point guard, but whether or not he’ll be able to contribute enough for the Cavs to keep him around is yet to be solved. But all it takes is one injury to open up a window of opportunity for each guy to get this big break, and that big break could change everything.

Nov 17, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers small forward Omri Casspi (36) during a game against the Dallas Mavericks at Quicken Loans Arena. Dallas won 103-95. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Cavs acquired Casspi back in 2011 along with a protected first-round pick in exchange for J.J.Hickson. Hickson was placed on waivers last year and was claimed by the Portland Trailblazers. Casspiwas the starting small forward in his first year with the Cavs, but eventually lost his starting position to Alonzo Gee. Since then, Casspi has been stuck on the bench.

This report of Casspi asking for a trade is still early, so possible places where he can land are still unknown. In the small amount of minutes he has played this year, he shot 45 percent from beyond the arc. Casspi was a first-round pick in 2009, but doesn’t carry first-round value anymore. If the Cavaliers do indeed move him, they will either receive a second-round pick, or a player they may designate for assignment in the NBA’s Developmental League.

This trade request is coming at the same time the Indiana Pacers released small forward Sam Young.He was a second-round pick in the same draft asCasspi and the two are facing similar situations being stuck on the bench. Young is a 6-6 athletic small forward who hasn’t been able to improve upon the impressive rookie season he had. His points per game have declined in each of his five seasons.

The Cavs are in need of a small forward and will have some roster flexibility after parting ways with SamardoSamuels. Young will be there for the taking if the Cavs are interested.

In the meantime…

Jon Leuer been recalled from the Canton Charge and will take the roster spot for Luke Walton, who is addressing a “personal matter.”

With Samuels gone and Anderson Varejao still out with a right knee injury, Leuer may be called upon tosee some significant minutes. Starting power forward Tristan Thompson and center Tyler Zeller will have their hands full tonight dealing with Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer.

In five games with the Charge, Leuer has averaged19.5 points and 12.4 rebounds. Leuer started the year on the Cavaliers’ roster, but was assigned to the D-League to make room for rookie Kevin Jones.

Jones will most likely see the bulk of the minutes that Walton has been seeing this season. In 12 minutes against the Houston Rockets, Jones tallied six points and three rebounds.