Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 ways the Chris Paul trade impacts the Cavs

Way #1: Williams/Beverley could be a target for Cleveland

Lou Williams, who is a terrific sixth man, and Patrick Beverley, a renown defender, were both shipped to Los Angeles. While Los Angeles already has a sixth man in Jamal Crawford and a point guard in Austin Rivers to take over the reigns, they could deal both Williams and Beverley.

More from King James Gospel

• 3 possible starting lineups for Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023-24
• The Cavaliers may have snagged a hidden gem in Craig Porter Jr.
• 4 players the Cavaliers should pursue in 2024 free agency
• 6 players Cavaliers might replace Jarrett Allen with by the trade deadline
• This stat is one to keep an eye on for Cavaliers’ Max Strus in years ahead

The one thing that the Cavaliers needed in their playoff run and especially against the Warriors was a capable bench. Kyle Korver, Iman Shumpert, and Deron Williams were all major let downs as they tried to battle one of the greatest teams ever assembled. Just to let you know how desperate the Cavs should be to improve their bench: in the 2017 NBA playoffs, the Rockets ranked 2nd in bench points per game at 37.7; while the Cavs, on the other hand, were 15th out of 16 with just 24.4 points per game.

A lineup with both Beverley and Irving could also be lethal with such a great defender and such a terrific playmaker. Beverley and Williams are also both above average three-point shooters. Beverley made 1.6 threes per game and shot 38.2% which was second on a Rockets team which shot a league-high 40.3 threes per game. Williams shot just 31.8% with the Rockets, but he did make 1.8 per game.

LeBron James craves shooting. Beverley and Williams would add shooting, and Beverley would certainly help their lackluster defense. Either of these two could be terrific additions to the Cavaliers.