The Cleveland Cavaliers should not trade Cedi Osman

It’s been reported that one NBA team has interest in Cleveland Cavaliers wing Cedi Osman, and here’s why the Cavs shouldn’t trade him.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are 7-21 on the season, and it’s understandable for constant trade rumors to be swirling surrounding the team. In my humble opinion, the Cavaliers have only two pieces that should be considered untouchable for the near future: those two are rookie point guard Collin Sexton and wing Cedi Osman. According to a recent report from Sam Amico of Amico Hoops (h/t Cavaliers Nation’s Brad Sullivan), there’s one concrete suitor for Osman.

"“The Los Angeles Clippers are one team with a supposed interest in Osman.”"

Osman has been far from perfect this season in his first year with an every-night (when healthy) role in Cleveland’s rotation. On the season, he’s averaged 11.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 32.0 minutes per game. He started the season really well, but as our own Jackson Flickinger has demonstrated, Osman has often struggled without the presence of Kevin Love on the floor for most of the season.

Osman has a true shooting rate of just 46.9 percent, which includes a three-point shooting percentage of just 30.2 (on a three-point attempt rate of 44.8), per Basketball Reference. He’s also had problems finishing at the rim (as he’s shooting just 50.6 percent on shots 0-3 feet from the rim), as he’s often been in too much of a hurry and forced things in the half-court. Osman has flashes that demonstrate why he could eventually be one of the Cavs’ best playmakers, both as a scorer and a passer, though. That, combined with his pick-and-roll versatility, help instincts and rebounding ability on the defensive end, is why the Cleveland Cavaliers have to keep Osman around and not trade him.

I’m all for them potentially moving veteran pieces for future draft picks, but Osman is only 23 years old, and his good basketball IQ and feel for the game represents a world of potential, as we’ve so often emphasized here at KJG. His 6-foot-8, 215-pound frame (in addition to above average explosiveness and athleticism) plays into that promise as well, and given Cleveland’s lack of wing talent and potential for the coming years, they need to let Osman keep developing.

To be clear, the Cavaliers are not actively showing they are ready to deal Osman, though, as Amico highlighted.

"“By all indications the Cavs are not ready to give up on Osman. They would ask for a lot more than they could probably get for him in a trade. They are viewing it as if this is really his rookie season, since his playing time was sporadic last year.”"

Taking that into account, though, that mindset should be reiterated often in the coming years, as Cleveland has to give the kid time.

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If the Cavs trade him too soon, especially to that Clippers team that has developed a winning culture even without a star player, that could really backfire on Cleveland.

When you combine Osman’s promise and already proven ability to make clutch shots in games (such as against the Los Angeles Lakers on November 21st), with Sexton’s playmaking, possibly still Love and Tristan Thompson‘s double-double potential output and probably a very high pick in next year’s NBA Draft, the Cavs’ outlook for the near future would be in pretty good shape.

Players such as Matthew Dellavedova, Thompson, David Nwaba and Osman bring much-needed energy every night, and that gets the team and fan base going.

I understand that Osman is probably going to be an inconsistent player in the coming years, but he could be an x-factor and very solid starter for years to come if he’s given the time on the Cleveland Cavaliers to fully develop. He has shown at times that he can have big three-point shooting nights, and his passing vision (though he will force it here and there) is already well ahead of schedule for as little as he’s played in the NBA.

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With Osman displaying numerous times that he could be an effective all-around contributor, you have to let things play out, because it’s difficult to see Cleveland getting something more promising back in return, given the likely lack of assets Osman would currently warrant in a trade.