Cavs Mozgov Trade Creates Concerns

The Cleveland Cavaliers traded for Timofey Mozgov today to go along with J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert as key players to fill obvious needs on the team. While Mozgov seems to be the center that GM David Griffin wanted most, the Cavs Mozgov trade still creates some concerns.

First and foremost is the fact that the Denver Nuggets were not a better defensive team with Mozgov on the court:

So the Cavs Mozgov trade, which is primarily meant to help the team’s interior defense, acquired a player that didn’t make his previous team better on the floor? Think it is just Joe’s opinion? Nope:

He is ranked at the 25th best center in defensive real plus minus and has a negative overall real plus minus.

The second big concern goes along with the first. One of the big issues the Cavs have is not only rim protection but weakside rim protection. The weakside player has to have the quickness of feet to get over and block a shot. With Kevin Love playing the other interior position, quick feet are important on all rotations. Mozgov doesn’t solve this issue. Fear the Sword‘s Editor David Zavac noted the same concern:

That is the on the floor concerns of the Cavs Mozgov trade but there are also the future concerns. At this point the Cavs do not have a 2nd round pick until 2020 (although unofficially the Cavs are supposedly getting a 2nd rounder in this trade) and have their first round picks in 2015 and 2017, but cannot trade those picks.

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That means the Cavs are basically topped out in the young talent that will be on the team. Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Iman Shumpert and Tristan Thompson are all young but only Joe Harris has room between today and his ceiling. The other young players may improve but are close to their ceiling already. Being fair that is an amazing statement about Irving and Love because they are already greatly talented.

First round picks are highly valued for a number of reasons, starting with that they are used to acquire young talent that can develop into important players. Even picks in the 20s have done so. With the Cavs, draft picks would have very specific roles they would be needed to fill, reasonable expectations for young players.

Draft picks also are important because they help balance a roster in two ways. First it helps balance the age of a roster. Trading a possible 19 or 20 year old for a 28 year old shrinks the window of opportunity for the team. That is exactly what the Cavs Mozgov trade did.

The other balance that young draft picks give the team is on the salary cap. Young players are on small rookie contracts for 4 years. Even though Mozgov is under contract next season, he can be a free agent 3 years sooner than both of the players the Cavs could get with the picks. He also makes about $3 million more next year, and much more if extended or re-signed, than the rookies would be paid for at least 4 seasons.

Finally the Cavs have very little flexibility moving forward. That especially becomes true when looking at how the Cavs could use Brendan Haywood‘s non-guaranteed contract next year. Before the trade the Cavs could have traded his contract along with 3 first round picks (Grizzlies, Thunder and their own) just after the NBA Draft this upcoming off-season to acquire a huge talent. If Marc Gasol wants to leave via a sign and trade, if the Pacers are willing to move Roy Hibbert to stay under the Luxury Tax or if another talented player is available in a trade, the Cavs could make a run with 3 firsts. Now not so much.

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To be clear, if the Cavs are able to make or win the NBA Finals, then this deal is worth it. Yet that might be the biggest question of them all: Is this team now capable competing for a Title? They need to be because there are very few things they can do to improve the team, almost none this year. They could sign Samuel Dalembert, Ray Allen or another veteran. Next year they hope to use the Haywood deal and/or their first rounder to add some talent.

So a starting 5 of Kyrie Irving, Iman Shumpert, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Timofey Mozgov with a bench of Matthew Dellavedova, J.R. Smith, Mike Miller, Shawn Marion and Tristan Thompson is what will compete for the Cavs. The Cavs Mozgov trade has cemented this group as the Cavs short and long term.

Given all of that, the Cavs Mozgov trade created some concerns but it seems to be a trade that the team had to make. They made the deal knowing all the things we just stated. We have to have faith that David Griffin and David Blatt that this is the right move.

What do you think about the Cavs Mozgov trade?

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