The 2021 NBA Draft is about three weeks away as of when I am writing this article. The Cleveland Cavaliers have lucked into the third pick and barring something monumental, they will likely be selecting the prospect that the Houston Rockets do not take between Jalen Green and Evan Mobley. The Rockets are rumored to potentially favor adding Green to a Rockets backcourt with Kevin Porter Jr., which would create a high-flying duo.
This scenario would mean that the Cavaliers would likely select Evan Mobley, a great consolation prize from a season filled with many ups and downs. Now, the Rockets selecting Green isn’t set in stone and they could end up taking Mobley. Whichever of the two the Cavaliers take, the goal should remain the same in adding players that fit around Mobley or Green, as well as the current young core of the team.
The needs on this team are obvious — shooting, athleticism, length and additional playmaking. There is a multitude of players that the Cavaliers could look to add who check those boxes, some seemingly being easier to acquire than others. Seeing as the team wants to compete now, it makes sense for them to add a veteran that checks those boxes.
That’s where Terrence Ross could potentially enter the equation for the Cavs as a logical trade target.
Terrence Ross is a 6-foot-6 swingman for the Orlando Magic. Last season was a career year for Ross, averaging 15.6 points and 2.3 assists per game, both career-highs. The “Human Torch,” as he’s been dubbed, has had a sixth man role for the Magic from the 2018-19 season onward. With this new role, Ross has seen his shot selection, on-ball abilities and his playmaking all expand.
This increase in offensive production tanked his efficiency.
Ross’ 48.5 effective field goal percentage was the third-lowest of his career, with the two lowest being his rookie season and an injury-riddled 2017-18 season. His 33.7 percent shooting clip from three-point land was three percent below average this year but there is some context behind his inefficiencies.
It wasn’t all on Ross, and more playmaking around him on the Cavs, including from bigs, would help
In the six games Ross played prior to Markelle Fultz’s injury, he was having an electric season and looked like the frontrunner for the Sixth Man of the Year Award. In those six games, he averaged 20.8 points per game on 47.8/41.0/92.0 shooting splits. With Fultz’s season-ending injury came a shuffling of starting guards for the Magic which had a damper on Ross’ consistency.
February saw the Magic lose Cole Anthony for the entire month and then some as well as Michael Carter-Williams for part of the month due to injury. This now meant that three of the four assist-leaders on the team had missed a good chunk of February which caused Ross to have an increased on-ball role.
After 68.5 percent of his points came from being assisted on in January, per Basketball Reference, that number would plummet to 51.9 percent in February which also lead to that month being an inefficient one for Ross.
There are also the points of trades and injuries having a damper on his scoring and shooting.
Though the shot creation has improved, Ross is still a player who relies on his guards to create for him and that trend should continue on the Cavs. With Darius Garland, Collin Sexton, and the likely backup guard that the Cavaliers look to add this offseason, such as potentially T.J. McConnell, the influx of facilitating should help to improve Ross’ shot selection and efficiencies, as long as the guards are able to stay healthy.
It should also be added that with the frontcourt the Cavaliers could have next season, there should be a high level of playmaking out of the mid-post/paint area.
Similar to Doug McDermott, Ross is someone who can excel shooting off-movement, coming off down screens, flare screens and in transition. Ross adds the slashing and defensive aspect that McDermott doesn’t, making Ross a better fit for the team.
So shifting gears from there, what might it take for the Cavaliers to get Ross, then?
So what would it potentially take for the Cavs to acquire Ross?
Ross is 30 years old with two seasons left on his deal. A framework of a deal should be similar to that of what the Magic got back for Evan Fournier, despite Fournier being in the last year of his deal. Seeing as the Magic are in a rebuild and will seemingly look to sell veterans, a potential deal centered on Taurean Prince and multiple second-round picks seems feasible.
A deal like this would allow the Magic to get out of Ross’ deal a year earlier, take a flyer on Prince, and add more second-round picks that could be used to add more assets, jump up in a draft, or select a player.
The biggest issue with this deal is that it isn’t the best package that the Magic could receive for T-Ross. Playoff teams looking to add veteran shooting such as the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers, both of whom have tradeable contracts as well as first-round picks that could be moved, could feasibly make better offers.
In this case, the Cavaliers could look to sweeten the deal, adding Dylan Windler or more second-round picks to make a trade happen. Windler could find a new home in Orlando, finding a role that suits him. The only downside to this would be the Cavs giving up on Windler too soon after not putting him in the best position to succeed/his injury woes.
Parting ways with Prince and seconds in a potential deal is better for the team, by comparison, as they look to improve the talent on the roster while limiting the assets given up.
All in all, with the playmaking that would be established on his team and more creative offensive opportunities, we could see an enhanced sixth man role for Ross on the Cavaliers. The versatility that he’d provide would help to play him in different situations and adding a veteran to the team would only help to accelerate the team in their hopes of becoming competitive once again.
Moreover, it’s clear that with what he’d bring to Cleveland, Ross would be a logical trade target for the Wine and Gold this offseason, and he’s set to make $12.5 million next season and $11.5 million in 2022-23, which isn’t unreasonable. But again, a potential deal via salary matching/future seconds with the expiring Prince could also be attractive for Orlando getting out of the extra year, with them rebuilding.