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Cleveland Cavaliers: Cedi Osman Drawing Interest From Denver Nuggets, Others

By Quenton S. Albertie

Dec 7, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jameer Nelson (1) drives as forward Nikola Jokic (15) is held off by Brooklyn Nets guard Isaiah Whitehead (15) during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 7, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jameer Nelson (1) drives as forward Nikola Jokic (15) is held off by Brooklyn Nets guard Isaiah Whitehead (15) during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers have the chance to get their point guard if they’re willing to give up a young and talented player to the Denver Nuggets.

Cleveland Cavaliers draft-and-stash prospect Cedi Osman is drawing some interest in corners around the league. According to ProBasketballDigest, one of those teams is the Denver Nuggets.

What matters about the Denver Nuggets interest in Osman, in particular, is the likely interest that the Cleveland Cavaliers have in their veteran point guard Jameer Nelson, who the Cavaliers have been targeting for awhile and who the Nuggets are right not to give up for peanuts.

Yet, is Nelson worth trading away Osman? After all, one of them is on the way in while the other is on the way out. In a word, yes.

The Cavs need a player to control the second unit offense and be a playmaker within it. Nelson, who can hit shots from all over the court and knows when to be aggressive and attack or pull back and work the ball around, is a fit within the Cavs system. Especially because he’s an accomplished three-point shooter. He’s knocking down the three-point shot at 38.3 percent rate this year.

Nelson, who is physically similar to rookie Kay Felder, could also provide guidance for the rookie and teach him how to be as successful as possible with his size. Nelson, who is in his 13th NBA season, will also benefit Kyrie Irving as well, as he’s able to consistently recognize what a defense is doing.

While the Nuggets are likely going to have to toss in a young prospect of their own, or at least a second-round pick, the Cleveland Cavaliers would be right to bite the bait for a heady veteran point guard with a skillset that works well within their second unit. A point guard who, as a former All-Star, still flashes that ability in games from time-to-time. Even defensively.

This season, Nelson has scored 10 or more points in 15 out of 38 contests. This includes two games when he scored 20 points or more. He’s had 14 games where he had 5 or more assists, including one game in which he gave out 13 gifts. He’s also had 15 games where he had a least one steal. His high for the season is 5 steals.

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Do you think the Cleveland Cavaliers should give up Cedi Osman for Jameer Nelson? Let us know in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.