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Cleveland Cavaliers: Everyone, except LeBron James, is expendable right now

By Nathan Beighle

CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 21: The Cleveland Cavaliers bench reacts during the game against the Boston Celtics in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2017 NBA Playoffs on May 21, 2017 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 21: The Cleveland Cavaliers bench reacts during the game against the Boston Celtics in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2017 NBA Playoffs on May 21, 2017 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers are in the middle of the offseason’s blockbuster trade, and every player should be considered expendable outside of LeBron James.

For starters, not only is LeBron James the legend of the Cavaliers, but he also has a no-trade clause. Even if the Cavaliers wanted to trade him (which I pray they don’t), he can’t be traded. That said, everyone not named LeBron James is expendable is the season of trade for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Both Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert want to be traded from the team that has taken them to the Finals for the past three seasons. Along with them, players like Channing Frye and Kevin Love could find their names popping up in rumors all over. Frye’s inability to play against the Warriors is a big reason why he might not be a good fit on this team.

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Players like Rose and Green, who were offseason additions for the Cavaliers, pose little trade value. The Cavaliers have several older veterans that possess little trade value, so many of them could end up hitting the road or at least the bench if they don’t perform to start the season off.

Player impact estimate, a stat tracked by NBA.com, helps us gauge how valuable a player is by how much they impact the game while they are in. Four Cavaliers (LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and Channing Frye) were the only Cavs that had above a 10.0 estimate. That compares extremely poorly to their Finals’ rival, the Golden State Warriors. Golden State had eight of these players. The Cavaliers need more players that will step in and make a difference in the game.

Therefore, it shouldn’t be too crazy to say that every Cavalier could be on the market for someone who might impact the game more. At the same time, the Cavaliers need to hang onto their shooters. The Cavaliers were undefeated in the 2016-2017 regular season when they hit over 20 threes in a game. That said, players like Kyle Korver, who has more value in Cleveland than anywhere else, will most likely be staying put this season. Korver and J.R. Smith are two players that are greatly valued in Cleveland, and Cleveland couldn’t ship them elsewhere very easily.

For Cleveland, a players value might come down to their contract. That makes both Channing Frye and Iman Shumpert perfect trade candidates for this upcoming season, especially with a huge offseason, free agency-wise, coming up.

Must Read: 3 trades involving Iman Shumpert

They’re all expendable, but only a few will actually be on the move.