The Cleveland Cavaliers should consider a deal with the Dallas Mavericks

The Cleveland Cavaliers should discuss a deal for the Wesley Matthews and Nerlens Noel of the Dallas Mavericks.

After a 4-5 start, the Cleveland Cavaliers have found out that they’re not a team that anyone fears. That needs to change. While practice time and in-game experience will help the Cavs fix some of their flaws, a trade with the Dallas Mavericks could fix the others. If the Cavs could trade for shooting guard Wesley Matthews (6-foot-5) and center Nerlens Noel (6-foot-11), they’d be well on their way to striking fear in the hearts of opposing teams again.

Not because of the names of the players they’d be acquiring but because of their skillsets.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have a solid team and when Isaiah Thomas returns, there’s little doubt that they’ll look like offensive juggernauts again. However, there are a couple of unexpected issues that have presented themselves this season.

For one, J.R. Smith has been terrible on both ends of the floor and for a player in a “3-and-D” role, shooting better than 20.9 percent from three-point range and having a defensive rating higher than 117 is a must. His lackluster defense has played it’s part in the Cavs’ 4-5 record and 114.5 defensive rating. As a starter, Smith’s ability to perform well obviously has a major impact on the Cavs’ performances; if he’s hitting his shots and defending his man well, the Cavs have a better chance of getting a lead early in games.

Jae Crowder, the Cavs’ other “3-and-D” starter, has only been making 29.4 percent of his three-point shots and has a defensive rating of 115 but his struggles haven’t been nearly as consistent as Smith’s.

Matthews, who is shooting 42.6 percent from three-point range this season and hasn’t shot below 36.0 percent from three-point range at any point in his career (8 seasons), is a player who can remedy the Cavs’ issues. Starting in place of Smith, Matthews would not only help the Cavs get off to quicker starts but he’d be a reliable player in the clutch as well. No matter how fans, coaches or his teammates may feel about Smith, who is a fun-loving guy and hard-worker with an ever-evolving personality, 20.9 percent shooting from three-point range just isn’t something you can put your faith in.

Matthews’ perimeter defense would be big-time for the Cavs as well. Simply put, if the Cleveland Cavaliers can lock down the opposing team’s best wing, the Cavs have a great chance at winning the game. Smith hasn’t even been able to stop players like New York Knicks small forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (who scored 34 against the Cavs) or New Orleans Pelicans shooting guard E’Twaun Moore (who scored 24 points on 10-13 shooting against the Cavs). It’s still early, but so far it looks like asking him to slow down Klay Thompson or Kevin Durant in a potential NBA Finals showdown with the Golden State Warriors is a plan doomed to fail.

Whether Matthews is guarding a player on a drive, chasing them around screens or defending them in the post, he has little issue staying attached to his man and has a knack for coming up with steals or blocks. Steals and blocks that could lead to the Cavs getting out in transition and getting easy buckets.

The other unexpected issue for the Cavs is their interior defense, as the issue stems from Kevin Love starting at center (an unexpected move at the start of season). Offensively, the move creates a lot of space for Rose to attack but when Thomas returns, there won’t be a need to play Love at center. Nor will it be prudent to do so, with how the duo’s defense can get exposed in the pick-and-roll.

However, another part of that issue lies in Tristan Thompson’s health as he’s currently out for a month with a left calf strain. Thompson’s notoriously good fortune in health seems to be fading and without the assurance that he can stay healthy, it’s going to be imperative for the team to find another big man with Thompson’s motor and mobility.

It’s already been proven that the Cavs need athletic players that can compliment Love in the frontcourt and Nerlens Noel is another one of those players.

Noel, who shares an agent with Cavs superstar LeBron James, can’t be traded until December 14th but when he becomes eligible for trade, he can step in as a starter or come off the bench behind Thompson at center to provide the Cavs with a much-needed shot-blocker. Noel has averaged 2.0 blocks per 36 minutes for his career and is averaging 1.6 blocks per 36 minutes this season. He has a defensive rating of 106, despite the team having a defensive rating of 111.7.

Whether Love is playing power forward or center, Noel has the defensive awareness and tenacity to be a weakside shot-blocker and “erase” a poor defensive possession where Love gets beats off-the-dribble or is getting backed down in the post. Not to pick on Love either, as everyone from Love to James gets beat off-the-dribble. Noel won’t be there to clean up every defensive mistake but he’s certainly a player whose ability to be the clean-up crew will come in handy. Especially on this team.

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The Trade: 

Cleveland Cavaliers receive: SG Wesley Matthews, C Nerlens Noel

Dallas Mavericks receive: SG Iman Shumpert, F/C Channing Frye, Brooklyn Nets’ first-round pick

Without giving up players crucial to their championship aspirations, the Cleveland Cavaliers receive two players who can make an immediate impact on the defensive end of the floor. That’s a tremendous get for the league’s worst defense. Iman Shumpert is one of the Cavs’ best perimeter defenders but he isn’t nearly as consistent a catch-and-shoot threat as Matthews is and a consistent three-point threat is what the Cleveland Cavaliers need in their starting lineup.

For the Dallas Mavericks, they need to look no further than their league-worst 1-10 record to know that they won’t be lifting up the Larry O’Brien trophy this season. Honestly, they may as well focus on the rebuild and constructing a roster that can compete for rings for the next decade. The “Shark Tank” star in Mavs owner Mark Cuban might just see the logic in trading away a 31-year-old shooting guard (with a player option in his contract for next season) and a rotational center (on a one-year deal) for a draft pick that could wind up being a top-5 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Especially with team leader and face of the franchise Dirk Nowitzki turning 40-years-old next season.

The Cavs really aren’t offering the Mavericks cap relief, just players not as good as their trade counterparts. Surrendering the Nets’ pick might be a tough decision but it’s highly unlikely that big names like DeMarcus Cousins become available at the trade deadline or that a rookie will make the type of immediate impact that James will see as a reason to stay. Why not make a move now for a roster with proven players that can, for the most part, stick together for the rest of the decade.

Cleveland Cavaliers projected starters (post-trade): Isaiah Thomas, Wesley Matthews, LeBron James, Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson – or – Derrick Rose, Wesley Matthews, LeBron James, Jae Crowder, Kevin Love

Cleveland Cavaliers projected bench (post-trade): Derrick Rose*, Dwyane Wade, J.R. Smith, Kyle Korver, Jae Crowder*, Jeff Green, Nerlens Noel

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*All stats gathered from www.basketball-reference.com, all contract information gathered from www.spotrac.com