Why the Cavs should trade for Nikola Mirotic

The Cleveland Cavaliers could strike gold with a trade for Nikola Mirotic.

Imagine this second unit for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Dwyane Wade (who will tag team with Derrick Rose as the backup point guard), Kyle Korver, Jeff Green, Nikola Mirotic and Tristan Thompson.

One name is not like the others: Mirotic.

“Niko”, as he’s called by friends and teammates, is a four-year pro who played five seasons in the EuroLeague before being drafted by the Houston Rockets with the 23rd pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. Mirotic’s rights were traded to the Chicago Bulls on the same night.

From there, there was a strange spotlight on the stretch four, who knocked down 39.7 percent of his three-point attempts in the EuroLeague.

Upon travelling to the states, Niko tried to make his impact felt alongside Rose, Jimmy Butler and company. With Mirotic the team’s sixth-best scorer (10.2 points per game), fifth-best rebounder (4.9 rebounds per game) and fourth-best shot-blocker (0.7 steals per game), the Bulls won 50 games in his rookie season.

However, Mirotic struggled with his shot all year. He converted 31.6 percent of his threes in the regular season and 23.3 percent of his threes in the playoffs, including 21.4 percent shooting from long-range when the Cavs defeated the Bulls 4-2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Even from the corners Mirotic struggled, shooting 32.6 percent on corner threes in the regular season (50.0) in the playoffs.

Over the course of the next three seasons, with increased comfort against NBA talent and a more defined role, Mirotic has lived up to the scouting reports. Mirotic has made 37.7 percent of his three-point attempts on 5.4 attempts per game while improving his impact on the boards (5.7 rebounds per game). On the defensive end, Mirotic has kept his thefts (0.7 steals per game) and rejections (0.8 blocks per game) steady as well, using his length and IQ to make up for his lack of athleticism.

Those numbers include the numbers he’s putting up this season, in a career year.

Niko is averaging 17.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 0.5 blocks and 0.4 steals in a career-high 25.1 minutes per game. In addition, despite taking a career-high 12.5 attempts per game (and a career-high 6.5 three-point attempts per game), Mirotic is posting career-highs in field goal percentage (48.6), three-point percentage (46.5).

This is a man living up to the hype and who shows the ability to stand tall in the face of a challenge.

As the Cleveland Cavaliers continue to pursue being the best possible version of the team they can be this season, there has been a missing piece to the puzzle.

With the team losing five out of their last eight games, Thompson has been baring the blunt of the blame. Much like Rose, or Love, Thompson has been used as a scapegoat for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ recent slump.

Every season is different but Thompson’s ability to get second chance points and be a mobile defender at the center position has been integral to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ success since James’ return in 2014.

This season, Thompson has been utilized in lineups devoid of enough three-point threats and because he lacks an outside jumper himself, the effects have been so-so at best. The paint closes up with Thompson on the court and there aren’t as many incredible or fancy finishes by James, Green or Wade.

Instead, these players have made their money by making their outside shots when Thompson is on the floor. That’s why Isaiah Thomas has excelled with Thompson and vice-versa, as the former is a dependable outside shooter and excels at getting the ball to TT in the pick-and-roll.

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Nonetheless, within these second unit lineups, more consistent shooting is needed; far too many players aren’t what you would call “pure” shooters.

Wade (34.5 percent), Green (33.3 percent) and Rose (23.1 percent) each shoot under 35.0 percent from three-point range, below the league average (36.3 percent). Cedi Osman (36.4 percent shooting from three-point range) and Iman Shumpert (28.0 percent shooting from three-point range) have combined to make 0.8 threes per game this season.

With Channing Frye (38.7 percent shooting from three for his career) and Jose Calderon (46.3 percent shooting from three this season), Korver (44.1 percent shooting from three) is the lone sniper in the second unit. That won’t cut it. Especially with the Cleveland Cavaliers ramping up Thompson’s playing time of late.

According to Joe Cawley of The Chicago Sun-Times, Mirotic is still willing to waive his no-trade clause if it allowed him to join a playoff contender. Mirotic is eligible to be traded on January 15th.

"According to a Bulls source, Mirotic and his representatives have still made it known to the front office that he’d waive his no-trade clause if it meant being dealt to a playoff contender when he’s eligible to be moved in mid-January."

The 6-foot-10 sharpshooter from Montenegro has only played in 17 out of the Bulls’ 40 games this season after a fight with teammate Bobby Portis left him with a facial fractures. Obviously, an incident like that can put a damper on your experiences with an organization and the 14-26 Bulls don’t offer much outside of playing time that could keep a discontent player from desiring a move elsewhere.

Especially when that player has seen all of the organization’s dysfunction first-hand since 2014.

Mirotic, a career 36.1 percent shooter from three, has made 2.8 threes in 25.1 minutes per game this season while shooting 46.5 percent from three-point range. Consistent mechanics and a high-arching three have led to him hitting a career-high percentage from outside the arc.

Like Love, Mirotic is fearless from three-point range, having little regard for range or space if he feels comfortable with the shot.

While Mirotic can be a reliable spot-up shooter, making 46.3 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes (4.7 attempts per game), he doesn’t have to rely on spot-up attempts. He’s making 50.0 percent of his pull-up threes as well (1.2 attempts per game). With his shooting stroke, he even does well when pulling up inside the arc (40.5 percent on 2.2 attempts per game).

He even has a nice little post-up game, using his size, length and footwork to get to the rim or create separation for a post fadeaway. So far this season, Mirotic is making 41.5 percent of his post-up attempts and 64.2 percent of his shots in the restricted area (42.9 percent in the paint).

Right off the bat, Mirotic adds consistent spacing to the second unit and gives the Cavs a more reliable shooter than Jae Crowder (30.6 percent from three-point range) when he plays with members of the starting lineup.

In the Cleveland Cavaliers 26 wins, the team has shot 40.6 percent from three-point range. In their 13 losses, the team has shot 33.1 percent from three-point range. Crowder has been a major factor in the team’s success from behind the arc and thus their success.

In the Cavs’ 26 wins, Crowder has shot 35.2 percent from three-point range. In their 13 losses, he’s shot 19.0 percent.

Green is shooting 28.9 percent in wins. Wade is shooting 30.8 percent in wins.

Their three-point contributions are nice to see but they’re not instrumental to Cavs’ victories like their ability to get to the rim off-the-dribble is.

It’s the Kyle Korver’s, Kevin Love’s, J.R. Smith’s and LeBron James’ of the world. The Crowder’s.

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Korver has shot 47.6 percent from three-point range in wins and 37.1 percent from three-point range in losses. Love has shot 44.0 percent from three-point range in wins and 37.8 percent from three-point range in losses. Smith has shot 38.0 percent from three-point range in wins and 34.3 percent from three-point range in losses. James has shot 43.8 percent from three-point range in wins and 27.6 percent from three-point in losses.

Having another reliable shooter on the court will improve the possibility the team wins because, with the amount of firepower they have, a three-point conversion here or there will nudge the team to victory. In the Cavs’ offense, having a three-point threat like Niko on the court improves the spacing for their best playmakers (i.e. James, Wade, Thomas) to attack the rim.

In trading for Mirotic, the Cavs would be wise to make Iman Shumpert’s $10 million contract the centerpiece of the deal to match salaries and to add in their own first-round pick in 2018.

This is a move that’s addition by subtraction for both teams, as the Cavs remove a frustrated player who can’t find a consistent role in the team’s backcourt and the Bulls remove a discontent player from a young and impressionable team.

Personally, I believe this is a trade the Cavs shouldn’t hesitate to make and they should consider adding in Channing Frye or Ante Zizic if that’s what the Bulls ask for.