Cleveland Cavaliers: Top 5 Trade Targets That Fit Into Their Reduced Trade Exception

Joffrey Lauvergne

Lauvergne isn’t a rim-protector but he’s a very solid post-defender, rebounder and shooter and is the second-best athlete on this list.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Scouting Joffrey Lauvergne As A Trade Target

Playing behind Steven Adams, Enes Kanter, Domantas Sabonis and Jerami Grant, there aren’t exactly many minutes for the big man. With just one more season remaining on his deal there isn’t much reason to keep him either. Not unless the Thunder trade Kanter, an unlikely scenario.

The Cavs, like they offer the other teams, could offer young assets and future draft picks for Lauvergne. Lauvergne, who seems like a player the Thunder picked up for insurance on their own big men, may not be available as the Oklahoma City Thunder are fully capable of reaching the playoffs and aren’t built in a way that could cause them to beat a team like the Golden State Warriors in a seven-game series.

Nonetheless, Lauvergne is averaging 13.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per 36 minutes for the Thunder and shooting 35.7 percent from three-point range. Defensively, there only four players on the Thunder with a better defensive rating than him this season: Adams, Kanter, Russell Westbrook and Andre Roberson.

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Who do you think the Cleveland Cavaliers should target with their traded player’s exception? Let us know in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.