Cleveland Cavaliers: Scouting Center Joffrey Lauvergne As A Trade Target

Cleveland Cavaliers general manager has consistently acquired an unexpected player in a trade. In expecting the unexpected, the Oklahoma City Thunder have one player in particular that the Cavs should have interest in acquiring.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, who need frontcourt help, are scouring the trade market for players that will allow the team to reach it’s maximum potential. A trade for Oklahoma City Thunder center Joffrey Lauvergne could work for the champs if they decide to target a big man before the trade deadline.

“Lauvergne left after expressing his dissatisfaction with the amount of time the squad dedicated to practices.”

That’s what DraftExpress’s Matt Kamalsky wrote about Lauvergne back in 2013.

” Lauvergne left after expressing his dissatisfaction with the amount of time the squad dedicated to practices.”

In targeting Lauvergne, the first thing the Cleveland Cavaliers will realize about the player they’d be receiving from the Oklahoma City Thunder is that Lauvergne is serious about his craft and bettering his game. He’ll want the extra minutes before and after practice and whereas some players come to a championship team and need time to get acclimated to their work ethic, Lauvergne already possesses a championship-caliber work ethic on an individual level.

That bodes well for the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the team – led by LeBron James -has established a culture that emphasizes player development. Getting in the gym and working on their craft to become better players and to increase their chances of succeeding as a team, the Cavs have went from being a “playoff pretender” team to the best team in the league with James’ production, yes, but also with an increase in their overall production. A spike that can be attributed to the long hours the Cavs put in the gym.

Iman Shumpert, Tristan Thompson, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and James himself have come into the season with either new wrinkles to their game or have improved their effectiveness from three-point range. Lauvergne would be working alongside players like this night-in and night-out in addition to head coach Tyronn Lue and director of player development Phil Handy.

That would mean that Lauvergne, who has been consistently improving as a scorer since his arrival in the league, would continue to work on his versatility as a scorer. In just three years, Lauvergne has managed to shoot 50.0 percent or better from every area inside the arc in a given season. This season, Lauvergne is converting a career-high 36.0 percent of his shots from deep.

That type of offensive capability would allow Lauvergne to make a similar, though less substantial, impact as Love when he’s on the floor for the Cavs. As teams try to pack the paint against the Cavs in order to make them shoot the three, Lauvergne will be a threat to knock down a shot as much as any player on the Cavs. By doing that as a center, Lauvergne will be able to draw the team’s best rim-protector away from the rim in ways similar to Channing Frye. That, of course, makes it easier for players like James, Irving, Shumpert and Richard Jefferson to attack the rim and convert.

Must Read: 5 Ways Tyronn Lue Has Improved The Cleveland Cavaliers

Lauvergne has an absurdly low body fat percentage of 3.2. He’s also athletic enough to play above the rim while being both agile and fluid in his motions on the court. Combining his physical tools with a nonstop motor, Lauvergne is going to be able to be a big threat to attack the rim in transition and convert shots around the rim whether they be putbacks or lobs.

Defensively, Lauvergne’s physical tools should allow him to excel as new-era big man as he defends ball-handlers and contest shots on the perimeter when necessary.  With the Oklahoma City Thunder, shooters are converting 35.5 percent of their three-point shots

when Lauvergne is the nearest defender

, 7.2 percent less than their average. When factoring in shots from 15 feet away and out, that number has a small spike and opponents shoot 8.2 percent worse than their average when he’s the nearest defender.

In the paint, Lauvergne hold opponents to 41.5 percent shooting, 3.7 percent worse than their average. On post-ups, Lauvergne has only allowed opponents to make 25.0 percent of their shots.  With a 6-foot-9 wingspan, Lauvergne isn’t going to be an elite shot-blocker. Nonetheless, Lauvergne’s dedication to film study and developing himself as a player have allowed him to be a fundamentally sound defender who is also aware of his opponents tendencies. That’s even better than a player simply known for emphatic shot-blocking.

All in all, when looking at what Lauvergne would bring to the table for the Cleveland Cavaliers, it’s apparent that he can help the team greatly. Lauvergne, who was acquired by the Thunder for two second-round picks, could likely be had at a reasonable price. The Thunder, who need more shooters, could be tempted by an offer from the Cavs that includes multiple shooters in the deal along with a player with the potential to score in isolation.

Lauvergne would be able to play either frontcourt position which would make him an instant rotation player while J.R. Smith is out with a broken thumb. When Smith returns, head coach Tyronn Lue can alternate Lauvergne and Frye at center depending on the matchup.

Related Story: A Frontcourt Trade Needed By The Cleveland Cavaliers

Would Joffrey Lauvergne be a good fit for the Cleveland Cavaliers? Let us know in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.