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Cleveland Cavaliers: Assessing The Future With De’Aaron Fox

By Dan Gilinsky

CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 09: Cleveland Cavaliers fans gather at The Quicken Loans Arena to watch Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors on June 9, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland, the defending NBA Champions, came back to win 137-116 and force Game 5 in the series. (Photo by Angelo Merendino/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 09: Cleveland Cavaliers fans gather at The Quicken Loans Arena to watch Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors on June 9, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland, the defending NBA Champions, came back to win 137-116 and force Game 5 in the series. (Photo by Angelo Merendino/Getty Images) /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers have had Kardashian-like drama during this offseason, and they need to be realistic about the future of the franchise.

Kyrie Irving shocked the NBA landscape this week, as a report leaked that he wanted to be traded. The Phoenix Suns, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans and Denver Nuggets have reached out to the Cleveland Cavaliers about offers for the 25-year old (per Amico Hoops), but there have been new developments elsewhere. Again according to Amico Hoops sources, the Sacramento Kings have put their hat in the ring in regards to Irving.

LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 10: De’Aaron Fox
LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 10: De’Aaron Fox /

Sources believe that the key cog in Sacramento’s deal would be point guard prospect De’Aaron Fox. The 19-year old could be a franchise cornerstone moving forward, especially if LeBron James does sign somewhere else next offseason. Let’s not dismiss this next season either with James around for a deep playoff run, though. We’ll see if he still is in Cleveland a year from now.

Regardless, the Cavs would be getting a floor general with incredible speed in the open court and a special perimeter defensive skill set. Other than J.R. Smith, the Cavs don’t have high-quality on-ball perimeter defenders on the roster right now. Iman Shumpert tied the worst defensive rating of his career last season, and his injury history makes him tough to rely on as a stopper in the future.

Jeff Green should help LeBron get some rest defensively at times while on the wing, but Irving has been a liability defensively for so long up top. Fox would concede so much less guard penetration, and also generate easy buckets from his active hands. Many have compared him to John Wall because of his explosive first step in isolation and above-the-rim finishing ability on the break.

Although he is not the scorer Irving is, the Cavs offense would be more than okay with him at the point. With his blazing speed, he constantly puts pressure on the opposing defense, and he’s a willing passer to the perimeter.

He isn’t nearly as effective as Irving in the pick-and-roll because of the lack of the three point threat, but he’d be able to get Tristan Thompson easy lobs and perimeter snipers wide-open threes from sucking in the defense. With him breaking down defenses so easily, that made Bam Adebayo get so many uncontested dunks.

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In addition, a two-man game between Fox and LeBron would be pretty difficult to keep out of the paint and off the free-throw line. With the Cavs potentially bringing in Derrick Rose to mentor Fox, they would put constant pressure on opposing paint defenses. Along with that, both have capability in the mid-range area with inside-out dribble pull-ups and floaters to evade shot blockers.

To conclude, nobody would be thrilled to lose the skill set of Kyrie. I am one of his biggest fans, and it is shocking to hear that he is not satisfied with the Cavs situation involving James. That said, Cleveland needs to be prepared for what could happen after next season, and bringing in a two-way piece with the potential of Fox is a good way to be proactive. Again, per Amico Hoops sources, big man Kosta Koufos and others would be included in that deal to work financially.

There will definitely be other offers to come, but getting Fox for a $4.6 million dollar salary (Amico Hoops) isn’t terrible for next year. He would make others better around him with his ability to break down defenses, and he could potentially be an elite defensive guard in this league very soon. Tough decisions are ahead for incoming General Manager Koby Altman, and life must go on if LeBron does eventually leave.

Must Read: 3 possible trades involving Kyrie Irving

Getting all-around impact guards is a good way to start preparation for if that happens.