King James Gospel
Fansided

Cleveland Cavaliers: Richard Jefferson likely the odd man out

By Simon Hannig

INDEPENDENCE, OH - SEPTEMBER 25: Richard Jefferson #34 of the Cleveland Cavaliers at Cleveland Clinic Courts on September 25, 2017 in Independence, 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. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
INDEPENDENCE, OH - SEPTEMBER 25: Richard Jefferson #34 of the Cleveland Cavaliers at Cleveland Clinic Courts on September 25, 2017 in Independence, 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. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

This is the deepest team LeBron James has ever been on since returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014. Unfortunately, it seems like fan favorite and a favorite among the players may be traded.

According to Jason Lloyd of The Athletic, Richard Jefferson is likely the odd man out, making him a prime candidate to be traded. Richard Jefferson is just one the Cleveland Cavaliers’ veterans likely to be mentioned in rumors in the next few days.

According to The Athletic and Bobby Marks of ESPN, the trade will save the Cavaliers $10.5M in taxes.

"According to sources, Cavs are (trying to) trade Iman Shumpert or Channing Frye right now to trim down the roster."

As of right now, the Cavs can trade Richard Jefferson to these teams with cap space: Atlanta, Brooklyn, Chicago, Dallas, Indiana, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Sacramento.

Teams with trade exceptions that can absorb Jefferson’s contract: Chicago, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis, Milwaukee, New Orleans, New York, Oklahoma City, Portland, and Toronto. The Cavs will most likely have to attach a second-round pick in a Jefferson deal for a team to absorb his contract.

It is not known what teams are interested in Jefferson right now, but the Cavs have a handful of teams to pick from to trade him. Jefferson is a veteran presence for this roster at 37 years old. The forward scored only 5.7 points per game last season, but he was highly effective, ending the season with a 53.6% effective field goal percentage.

There aren’t many true contenders, so if traded, it will be interesting to see where Jefferson, who mulled over retirement last season, ends up. Hopefully, the Cavaliers have enough respect to let Jefferson continue his mission for another ring. Oklahoma City would then be the prime option for him.

Must Read: Cleveland Cavaliers: A master list of current trade possibilities

Jefferson is a fantastic player, but the perks of trading him might be too good to resist for the Cavaliers.