Note: the “stock up, stock down” doesn’t necessarily refer to trade stock, but is a way to review how the Cleveland Cavaliers’ players have been performing, as I’ve noted before.
As we near the February 7 NBA trade deadline, the Cleveland Cavaliers have played somewhat better basketball over the past week, which includes two wins and a close loss. Maybe they’re beginning to turn the corner and go from a historically bad team to just a bad team.
Stock Up: Cedi Osman
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Cedi Osman has played legitimately good basketball as of late, as our own Robbie DiPaola demonstrated recently. Over the past six games, Osman has averaged an impressive 20.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, while shooting 54.3 percent from the field and a stellar 44.7 percent from three-point land (per NBA.com).
He was also named to the World Team in the 2019 MTN Dew ICE Rising Stars Game during All-Star Weekend (h/t the Cleveland Cavaliers).
Consistency issues have plagued Osman’s season. He’s shown flashes over stretches of games before but has not been able to do it consistently.
Hopefully Osman’s elevated play as of late will be a sign of things to come and hopefully he’ll be able to do it on a night in, night out basis.
Stock Up: Jordan Clarkson
Jordan Clarkson has been amongst the most consistent Cavaliers this year, giving them consistent scoring off the bench. As the trade deadline comes near, Clarkson had perhaps his best game of the year this past week against the Washington Wizards, putting up 28 points, including going six-for-eight from three, per ESPN.
Hopefully a team will come along looking for a scoring guard to bolster their playoff roster and pay a premium to add JC for the stretch run, which could potentially allow the Cavs to add to their future draft assets.
Our own Eli Mooneyham noted highlighted how Clarkson being potentially traded to the Indiana Pacers could be a logical scenario, and mentioned how the initial scenario was brought up by Sam Amico of Amico Hoops on a recent podcast with Chase Smith of “Cavs on the Break.”
We’ll see if the Cavs deal JC in soon.
Stock Steady: Alec Burks
Alec Burks has been a solid addition to the Cavs and has played at a consistent level for the most part. He’s been a solid veteran in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ rotation and has consistently put up around 10.0 points a game while shooting in the ballpark of 40 percent, with considerable playmaking responsibilities.
Burks has come completely as advertised; nothing more, nothing less. According to The Athletic’s Joe Vardon (subscription required), with the deadline fast approaching, it’s believed that the Cleveland Cavaliers will be moving both Burks and Rodney Hood, “at minimum.”
Burks, like Hood, is on an expiring contract, and at this point, you know what you’ll be getting from Burks, who has been a steady player for Cleveland since being traded here by the Utah Jazz earlier in the season.
Stock Down: Collin Sexton
Collin Sexton is putting up relatively decent scoring numbers (14.3 ppg on the year) but has struggled with efficiency. He’s shooting just 37.5 percent from the field over his past 10 games, (per NBA.com) and has been taking some ill-advised jumpers.
To make matters worse, he hasn’t been seeing the floor during crunch time over the past few games.
In a season that is about growth and development, Sexton needs to be on the court during all kinds of situations, particularly in crunch time. He’s going to make mistakes on the court and he needs to remain on the court to learn from those mistakes.