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Cleveland Cavaliers: 4 realistic trade scenarios for the Cavs

By Alishah Pearine

MILWAUKEE, WI - APRIL 5: Kevin Love #0, Iman Shumpert #4, and LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers line up for the national anthem before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on April 5, 2016 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 2016 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI - APRIL 5: Kevin Love #0, Iman Shumpert #4, and LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers line up for the national anthem before the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on April 5, 2016 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 2016 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 22: DeAndre Jordan #6 of the LA Clippers reacts during the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on November 22, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – NOVEMBER 22: DeAndre Jordan #6 of the LA Clippers reacts during the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on November 22, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

IS DEANDRE THE MISSING PIECE? 

After dropping their last 9 games and barely beating the Hawks a couple nights ago, the Clippers sorely miss CP3 and are currently the 3rd worst team in the West, with a record of 6-11. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan are great duos and they put on a show everytime they’re on the floor, but DeAndre’s offensive limitations and Blake’s durability is where the problem lays.

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With Blake—and with many players on the Clippers team—the question isn’t if they’ll get injured, it’s a matter of when. Beverley, their starting point guard, is out for the season after sustaining a knee injury; Gallinari, their starting small forward, hasn’t played in the last 8 games and probably will miss the next 6 after injuring his glute. Blake has yet to get hurt, and hopefully, he doesn’t, but even he’s had a long history of injuries and it’s likely he’ll sustain a few throughout the course of the season.

DeAndre, on the other hand, hasn’t shown much improvement in his offensive game either, his free throw shooting is still shoddy and he’s still not a threat outside of 3 feet. Players like Austin Rivers and Wesley Johnson have stepped up to do as much as they can, but the Clippers are slowly imploding and it would be wise to just blow it up.

If the trade were to happen the Cavaliers would get the rim protection that they’ve desperately needed since last year’s NBA Finals. They would also acquire a great shooting guard off the bench who can create for himself and others. With Rose taking some time away from basketball due to various injuries and mental fatigue, Lou would be perfect to take over some point guard responsibilities until IT comes back.

The Clippers, on the other hand, get a great perimeter defender in Iman Shumpert, an Ironman and tenacious rebounder in Thompson, and the coveted 2018 Brooklyn pick. This deal doesn’t only help the Clippers speed up their rebuilding process, but it also helps the Cavs win a championship this year.