Cavs Trade Options: The Lakers Trade
The Cleveland Cavaliers have upgraded their team immensely since the end of last season and even during this season. The Cavs trade options are small. They have a few players that they could move including Brendan Haywood, Matthew Dellavedova, Joe Harris, James Jones and maybe even Mike Miller. Of those five players only Haywood would be considered likely to move. Delly plays an important role, Harris is a young shooter, something the team will always need, while Miller and Jones are friends of LeBron James.
So the Cavs trade options are pretty limited. Haywood’s contract does not reach it’s full value until next season and is only worth a little over $2 million. Adding in one of the other listed players will add another $1 million, except Miller who is worth almost $3 million in a trade. The Cavs also only have one 2nd round pick in the next 5 years and can’t trade their 1st round pick until 2018 at the earliest.
That leaves them searching from a limited number of options. One option, and this writer’s favorite, is a trade with the LA Lakers:
Why Lakers Make the Deal
The Lakers are constantly looking for their next star. They should have a Top 5 pick this year to add someone via the draft to go along with young Julius Randle. Even though it is LA, the team has struggled to get free agents to sign with them. They can use Haywood’s contract to trade for a player with a big deal which could help them recruit others as well. Kobe Bryant is likely back next year and could be surrounded by Randle, a high draft pick and a high paid player brought in with Haywood’s contract and other considerations.
Wayne Ellington will be a free agent after the season and has bounced around a bit in his young career. A decent enough player but not someone to hold on to tightly. Ed Davis has been a bargain find for the Lakers. The one time Lottery pick has turned in a fine season averaging 8 points, 7 rebounds and 1.1 block in route to his 18.37 PER. He has a player option on his contract and can also be a free agent. He could command more than the Lakers are willing to pay.
Why the Cavs Make the Deal
Haywood is unlikely to be used to bring in a high priced player for the Cavs. Their salary cap and the large contracts of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, let alone Anderson Varejao, Tristan Thompson and Iman Shumpert who could all be around $10 million next year, end that hope. Instead the Cavs move Haywood, someone not a part of their rotation, and a lowly 2nd rounder for two players who should contribute.
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Davis is not a center but fills a similar role that Thompson does. He hustles, can block shots and has a ton of quick twitch fibers (he can cover a ton of ground quickly). The Cavs currently do not have a 4th big, Shawn Marion doesn’t count, that can come off the bench and be effective. Davis would provide that when Timofey Mozgov, Love or Thompson have to deal with foul trouble. Ellington is a shooter pure and simple. He shot over 42% from the 3 point line the last two seasons, dropping to 39% this year. He is much younger than Miller and Jones and could pair well with J.R. Smith as a reserve backcourt.
Simple and easy right? The trade isn’t perfect for the Cavs. Davis isn’t a strong post defender but, as we learned with the pursuit of Mozgov, those don’t come easily or cheap. Many think the Cavs need a backup point guard but Irving, James and Smith can do a majority of the ball handling and Delly knows his role and is playing it well. In exchange for Haywood, who doesn’t play, the Cavs get two serviceable players that fit what the Cavs want to do and fill in nicely. Davis also provides insurance in case Tristan’s contract negotiations go badly, the Cavs can look to re-sign Davis for cheaper to fill a similar role.
What do you think about the Cavs trade options with the Lakers?