Oct 17, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Josh Selby (2) shoots a free throw against the Houston Rockets during the first quarter at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports

When the Cleveland Cavaliers traded Jon Leuer to the Memphis Grizzlies for a future first round pick, forward Marresse Speights, guard Wayne Ellington and guard Josh Selby, the player that drew the least interest from Cavs fans was the latter of the bunch. A backup in Memphis, Selby has only appeared in 10 games this season – shooting a putrid 27.3 percent from the field. Not surprisingly, the Kansas guard was optioned to the Canton Charge once the trade was complete.

However, do not just assume that Selby will be another Jeremy Pargo-type who just rides the pine until an eventual release. With Shaun Livingston’s contract up at the end of the season, the Cavs may decide to give Selby a shot at being Kyrie Irving’s backup. With a team option for next year, his future is not secure either, but it will be interesting to see if they do decide to keep him around.

Selby was a second round pick of the Grizzlies, coming out of Kansas after his freshman season. In high school, Selby was not only a five star McDonald’s All-American, but was also 2010 Jam Fest champion. Before entering college, Selby got himself in hot water by not being cleared by the NCAA. The investigation stemmed from a supposed relationship with Robert “Bay” Frazier, the business manager of New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony. At the conclusion of the investigation, Selby was found guilty and suspended for nine games for the receiving of improper benefits. He was also ordered to pay $4,607.58 to a charity of his choice.

After his suspension, Selby played 26 games for the Jayhawks, including 11 starts. In 20.4 minutes per game, he averaged 7.9 points and 2.2 assists per game. Shooting wise, he shot a sup-par 37.3 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from three.  After his freshman season, Selby declared for the NBA Draft via Twitter.

After being selected with the 49^th overall pick in the 2011 Draft, Selby split time between the Grizzles and their Developmental League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns. In 28 games with Memphis, he averaged 2.3 points and 1.1 assists in 8.5 minutes. From three, he shot an abysmal 13.3 percent. In the 2012-13 season, Selby has played 5.9 minutes per game. Averaging 2.0 points, Selby saw sparing playing time before the trade.

Now in Canton, Selby will likely play a starting role for the Charge. As we have seen, it is entirely possible that Selby will get a call up before the end of the season. Young players like Kevin Jones and the aforementioned Leuer have gotten their time in Canton, and then got the call up the big show. It is not the most ideal situation, but there is real opportunity for Selby. As I mentioned before, Livingston has an expiring contract. If General Manager Chris Grant and Coach Byron Scott decide that they want a young guard instead of Livingston, Selby could be their man. He’ll know the offense, have an affordable contract and – as a former five star recruit – the talent is there. Let’s just see if that talent can be harnessed.

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.