Cleveland Cavaliers Talking Trade With The New Orleans Pelicans

The Cleveland Cavaliers are talking trade with the New Orleans Pelicans and it makes sense, the Pelicans have a treasure trove of guard talent.

The Cleveland Cavaliers might be trying to strike a trade with the Anthony Davis-led New Orleans Pelicans before the trade deadline.

According to ESPN’s senior writer Brian Windhorst, appearing on ESPN’s “The Insiders” podcast, the Cleveland Cavaliers have talked with New Orleans about a trade. Windhorst goes on to say that he doesn’t know what the exact substance of those trade talks were but with reports that Iman Shumpert is available, we at least know the price range can include players like Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans.

New Orleans, which has two big-time guards on expiring contracts (Holiday and Evans), a log jam at point guard, a desire to lower their payroll and an unhappy big man, are a team that could give the Cleveland Cavaliers whatever they need to make a championship run this season.

They’re a team with weak perimeter defenders and are trying to play smaller and faster. As a consequence, Davis has started to play more center this season while Terrence Jones and Solomon Hill flank him as a small-ball power forward.

Depending on who is involved in the trade scenario, the Pelicans could start Shumpert at shooting guard or small forward to set the tone defensively. Shumpert will be an elite catch-and-shoot player who, unlike Buddy Hield, isn’t a ball-dominant guard.

The Cavs could trade for a package that includes speedy point guard Tim Frazier and center Alexis Ajinca, though they could swing for the fences and go for Holiday.

Yet, outside of E’Twaun Moore, a player who shares much of Shumpert’s skillset, Tyreke Evans is the player that has the closest value to Shumpert’s in terms of their age and success in the league to this point.

Evans, who is averaging 9.5 points and 3.5 assists per game in 18.2 minutes per game, is a player who will survey the defense then decide to attack the rim or set up a teammate with an assist. He’s not a floor-spacer but the former Rookie of the Year can play the point guard position for the Cavs’ second unit.

However, if the Cavs want Holiday instead, that shouldn’t be impossible. The Pelicans have guards in Frazier, Moore and Langston Galloway that can play the point guard position, and in fact, Frazier started in place of Holiday at the start of the season and performed terrifically. In addition, with his performance at lead guard, Buddy Hield’s best position could be point guard.

If that makes Holiday expendable, especially considering that Holiday is on the final season of his contract, then the Cleveland Cavaliers could receive a gift in the form of an All-Star caliber guard. More than likely, the Cavs would need to give up a first round draft pick and a young player for the trade to work.

Don’t be mistaken. The Cavs want to keep Shumpert. If they can trade for Frazier or Ajinca and absorb their salary into a traded player exception (TPE), they should and will. However, trading Shumpert for Holiday or Evans wouldn’t hurt either.

Should the Cleveland Cavaliers trade with the New Orleans Pelicans? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.