The Cleveland Cavaliers are in the midst of total confusion, and with both Paul George and Jimmy Butler as possible additions, they should take the former.
With that said, here is the argument that the Cleveland Cavaliers should trade for Paul George over Jimmy Butler.
Paul George:
George could be a better fit for the Cavs. George is a better three-point shooter than Butler. The Cavs need shooting and wing defense to beat the Warriors. George provides them with both of those. He shot .393 percent from behind the arc last season while posting a .586 true shooting percentage. George is exceptionally lethal at corner threes shooting .404 percent from there last season.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Butler is nowhere near the shooter George is. Butler was .367 percent from deep last season. For his career, Butler is only a .337 percent shooter from behind the arc.
George is also a better offensive player off the ball. George did a great job of adapting to being an off-ball player in the 2016 Olympics. He settled into a role of being a spot up shooter and defensive specialist. Butler did not have an easy time adapting to this role.
George has a wider array of offensive skills as well. He is a better three-point shooter and a better mid-range shooter than Butler. Butler shot a dismal .376 percent from the field 10 to 16 feet from the basket and was only .366 percent from 16 feet to the three-point line. George, on the other hand, shot .411 percent 10 to 16 feet out and .484 percent from 16 feet to the three-point line.
Butler excels at getting to the basket. Most of his shot attempts came at the rim this season. However, Cleveland already has two elite players that can get to the rim. They are in need of more shooters, especially if Kevin Love is shipped out in a trade. George’s ability to knock down the mid-range and three-point shot make him a much more valuable asset.
Both players are excellent defenders. They have both been named to three All-NBA Defensive Teams. That being said, George is two inches taller than Butler. Butler or George would have the responsibility of guarding Kevin Durant in a potential Finals rematch. Those two inches make a big difference when you’re talking about guarding a 7-foot shooter.
Jimmy Butler:
While Paul George could be a better fit, there is a good argument to be made why Jimmy Butler would be a better choice for the Cavs. For starters, Butler is not a free agent this coming off-season. He still has two years left on his current contract. There is also a great chance that he re-signs with the Cavs, even if James were to bolt to LA. Butler has expressed his desire to play with Kyrie multiple times.
Butler is also getting better. He is coming off his best season as a pro. He posted his career highs in points per game (23.9), assists per game (5.5), and rebounds per game (6.2) last season. He did this while also posting a career high in player efficiency rating of 25.1.
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Butler is arguably the better player and the Cavs would have control of him for a longer period of time. The question is whether or not he is a better fit with the Cavs.