Now hindsight is always 20/20, but two weeks after the Cleveland Cavaliers saw their season abruptly cut short of a championship run in just the Eastern Conference Semifinals against a rejuvenated and ageless Celtics team, it’s safe to say that the Cavs' front office made a monumental error at the trade deadline by refusing to trade J.J. Hickson to Phoenix in a deal that would have landed them Amar’e Stoudemire in return.

Instead, they settled for Antawn Jamison, which in their defense, made complete sense at the time.

After all, in acquiring Jamison, the Cavs were getting a seasoned, professional veteran that could score in a variety of ways from the four spot. He was crafty around the rim with his unconventional releases, and he could shoot the three.  He was the stretch forward that could offset the likes of a Rashard Lewis or a Kevin Garnett. (Or so it was thought.)

Even better, they gave up virtually nothing to get Jamison (with the exception of Zydrunas llgauskas, and that just for 30 days). They weren't forced to part with the young, athletic, and long Hickson, who was continuing to develop into an impact, high energy role player.

It was a slam dunk deal for the Cavs, or so it seemed. They were only adding talent to a team that was already rolling. They weren't losing anything.

It seemed like a no-brainer at the time. It really did.

But looking back at it now, weeks after the Celtics dismantling of the Cavs, it just seems insane for a couple of obvious reasons.

First off, it was ridiculous to identify Jamison as a second option on a potential championship team, even if the Number 1 guy happens to be MVP, LeBron James. He's just not that guy. And the Celtics exposed him for what he was, that being a 33-year-old finesse, power forward that relied too heavily on his outside shot (which was a bit off in the series: 3-16 from beyond the three), and a guy that was a huge liability on defense.

At best, Jamison was nothing more than an unreliable third option on a potential championship team, certainly not the Robin to LeBron's Batman.

Then you throw in the fact that J.J. Hickson barely played for the majority of the playoffs, and it makes the Cavs' failure to pull the trigger on the Amar'e deal even more frustrating and irrational.

It pains me to think that the Cavs didn’t trade for Amar’e so Hickson could watch from the bench; especially given the ominous "win a ring for the King" or else atmosphere that pervaded this season and intensified throughout the playoffs.

When that's the mindset, and it was, the answer wasn't just another scoring option for the Cavs, the answer should have been a scoring force, and that's what Amar'e Stoudemire would have been.

Because unlike Jamison, Amar'e has the ability to impose his will on the offensive side of things. Even though his offensive game is far from diverse (midrange jumpers from near the elbows and right handed drives come to mind), he's physical enough to force the issue and get to the line.

And him and LeBron off the pick-and-role? That might be hard to stop.

And while he's certainly no stalwart on defense, his length and his athleticism are a significant upgrade over Jamison. He would at least have been a presence on defense.

Not to mention, the guy is an intense competitor.

In hindsight, however, it just makes no sense that the Cavs' front office refused to trade a guy that wasn't going to play a large role in this year's playoffs especially when the guy you'd be getting in return is a  legitimate second option on a championship caliber team.

Had the Cavs acquired Amar'e Stoudemire at the deadline, there's a good chance they might still be playing.