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Being complacent at trade deadline is worst option for Cavs

By Eli Mooneyham

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The Cleveland Cavaliers are heading towards the NBA Trade Deadline with a lot of mystery hovering over the team. It’s obvious that they should move a bunch of their roster. But will they?

With just eleven wins on the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the second-worst team in the NBA when it comes to records. However, there could be a case made that they are the true worst team over squads like the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls. It’s not a fun argument to have but it certainly exists.

That means the Wine and Gold will undoubtedly be sellers during the NBA Trade Deadline this season. Eight players have expiring contracts on this roster and quite a few of the notable members have garnered trade interest. Contenders will need help and maybe some teams looking to get an early jump on next year will try to take some young talent off of Cleveland’s hands.

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But will the Cavaliers actually capitalize on the trade rumors and be active at the trade deadline? If they aren’t, it would be a devastating mistake.

At a time where the rebuilding process is still fresh for the Cavaliers, they need to be able to execute every step of the way early on. That includes making this upcoming NBA Trade Deadline. They have assets that won’t be of use to them at the end of the season, one way or another. So move them and get something in return, it’s that simple.

Overall, complacency is the worst way the Cavaliers can handle the trade deadline.

Guys like Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson are unlikely to be moved due to their roles with the organization.

Love, though only playing in four games this season, is the only All-Star on this roster and can be of value next season, if the Cavs decide to hold onto him in hopes of pairing him with Collin Sexton and whoever they draft this June. His new contract kicks in at the start of the new league year and it appears the Cavaliers want to have him spend at least the first few years of that deal in Cleveland.

Meanwhile, Thompson has taken a step forward in the leadership department. After being the hustle-play generator that served as one of the top rebounders in the NBA in years past, the big man out of Texas has really embraced being a voice in the Cavaliers’ locker room. He’s helped the progression of Larry Nance Jr. and Ante Zizic, which makes it hard to believe he’d be on the move within the next week.

But what about Rodney Hood and Alec Burks? Those are just two names that stand out once you begin examining the roster.

Hood’s inconsistency is the main reason he was shipped out of Utah last February, along with the expedited growth of Donovan Mitchell. Though he averaged 17.9 points per game, Hood would have nights where he didn’t seem to be engaged on the court and went through the motions while being passive. It’s happening in Cleveland, albeit not that much. However, it’s enough to raise some concerns about his role on the team heading into the future.

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Burks was acquired in November when the Cavaliers moved Kyle Korver to the Jazz for one last playoff run. Though his tenure with Cleveland has been met with a shaky role and he’s failed to produce every night, his stint with the team has been just about what you’d expect from a player who hasn’t played more than 70 games since the 2013-14 season.

Both are garnering enough interest on the trade market that a deal should be completed for each. And why not capitalize on an offer for either? A potential return seems better for the long-run rather than two guys that can walk after the season.

Is the return worth making the move? That’s the ultimate question when it comes to all of the roster, especially a guy like Jordan Clarkson. Clarkson has had a strong year as the sixth-man of the Cavaliers and could generate the most in a trade out of the available guys.

But for now, we wait and see what moves will be done.