Ben McLemore has been linked with the Cleveland Cavaliers per reports and he would be a good fit for the Cavs.
The current roster for the Cavaliers can beat anybody that comes out of the West. But that doesn’t mean it’s likely to happen and it definitely doesn’t mean they should sit idly back and hope that having Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving healthy will make the difference against the Golden State Warriors or put them over the top against the San Antonio Spurs.
Over the past 24 hours or so, the biggest names linked as potential trade candidates are:
- Shooting Guard Ben McLemore, a raw player that has many flaws but with the right team around him could flourish into the player many expected he would be.
- Center Kostas Koufos, who would replace Timofey Mozgov’s role on the team (most likely) and would hopefully not fumble every pass thrown his way.
- Power forward Channing Frye, a veteran player that would give the Cavaliers a backup stretch four in case of a Love injury.
Depending on who the Cavs give up, all three could provide immense value in the playoffs. However, for this piece, McLemore will be the focus.
Ben Mclemore
McLemore has underwhelmed in his 2 and half seasons with the Sacramento Kings after being drafted with the 7th overall pick in 2013. The Kings hoped this was the year for McLemore to take a step forward, but it hasn’t happened. Although the constant organizational turnover in Sacramento the past few years has certainly played a big role in that. Maybe McLemore just needs a new home.
So what do the Cavaliers see in him? An offensive threat. McLemore has increased his three point shooting each year he has been in the league, from 32% and 35.8% his first two seasons, to 37.2% this year. That would be 4th best on the Cavaliers and much higher than Iman Shumpert’s 32.2% conversion rate.
Speaking of Shumpert, he has been an absolute mess on offense this year. He can’t hit threes consistently, he can’t break down a defense one-on-one or create for others. Of course his offense isn’t his main asset, it’s his defense. But if Shumpert can’t find his offensive game, the Spurs or the Warriors (or whoever comes out of the West) will treat him like Memphis’ Tony Allen by essentially not guarding him and loading up on the big 3. If that is the case, I consider him a liability on the floor regardless of his defensive abilities. It sounds somewhat crazy that Shumpert is that bad on offense, but it is the truth. He has just a 48% true shooting percentage, which is just .9% higher than Tony Allen. Both percentages are terrible. It is a risk to have an offensive liability like that against top teams.
Trading for McLemore would give the Cavaliers flexibility in the even that Shumpert continues down this current offensive path. He could stretch the floor and he has some ability to break down a defense one-on-one, which is important since most of his minutes would likely come with both LeBron James and Kyrie Irving off the floor. With the Cavaliers cap situation, it is nearly impossible to acquire any talent from free agency this coming offseason, so picking up a player with McLemore’s potential could have a big payoff.
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As far as what it takes to get him? I am not sure. The Cavs may have to give up Shumpert. Is that worth it though? Remember, Shumpert matched up extremely well with Klay Thompson in the finals, rendering him a complete non-factor for most of the series. Losing good perimeter defenders is never ideal. However, the way J.R. Smith has played this season, on both sides of the ball, makes me a little less worried about losing Shumpert. Apparently I am not the only one who is questioning Shumpert either, as rumor has it the Cavs front office is concerned about his commitment to basketball.
Moving Shumpert isn’t the only possible scenario to get McLemore. Mozgov could be an option, though that sounds likely, per SacTown Royalty. Maybe Shumpert for Mclemore and Koufos, with possibly Mozgov thrown in?
It remains to be seen. Maybe I’m crazy for thinking that trading away Shumpert for a player as unproven as McLemore is a good idea. Maybe not.
What do you guys think of trading for Mclemore?