Even with low asking price, Cavs should pass on Jarrett Culver trade

The 2021 NBA Draft is on the horizon, and the Cleveland Cavaliers seem poised to select USC big Evan Mobley, who has the makings of a potential two-way superstar down the road.

Cleveland could possibly go with Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs, Florida State point forward Scottie Barnes or G League Ignite wing Jonathan Kuminga, but I’d much more so expect Mobley to be their selection at #3 overall. There is reportedly a “sense” that the Cavaliers will go that direction as well, for further context.

For now, the Cavaliers are not set to have another pick from there; Collin Sexton could potentially aid Cleveland land another pick at some point though, albeit based on comments from Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe of ESPN on a recent draft special, Cleveland could very well keep Sexton around, and that’s a plus to me. We’ll have to see, given Sexton trade rumors for a while, still.

From there, the likes of Larry Nance Jr. and rotational wings Taurean Prince and Cedi Osman could seemingly be pieces the Cavs could look to deal for potentially a lower first-round pick and salary matching, though. Or the Cavaliers could perhaps seek to buy/trade into the second round, as far as adding another potential draft pick.

We’d again have to see regarding those others, but by next season, one would think Cleveland will look to move the expiring Prince as part of a package for a veteran backup point guard, for example, and some potential rumored free agent targets such as Doug McDermott, Reggie Bullock and Josh Hart could help Cleveland’s bench. That’s whether or not Prince might be moved at some point and/or mid-next season.

Nonetheless, while I’d love for the Cavs to be on-board with possibly pursuing Orlando Magic wing Terrence Ross via trade, or maybe Memphis Grizzlies 2 guard Grayson Allen, one wing Cleveland should have a hard pass on via potential trade is the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Jarrett Culver. Culver, the former #6 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, could reportedly be available for a second-round pick, per Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness and SKOR North on an episode of SKOR North’s The Scoop (with Wolfson), and as h/t NBA Central.

Even with the minimal asking price, the Cavs should pass on a potential trade for Culver.

Even with a rumored minimal asking price, where say, Dylan Windler and Damyean Dotson plus a future 2, such as Cleveland’s 2023 2, could potentially be of interest to Minnesota, I’d pass. The same would go for possibly the likes of Cedi Osman and that aforementioned future Cleveland 2, or a different future one, in exchange for Culver and Jake Layman.

The point is, while I get that Culver is only 22, and just two years in, he’s been very underwhelming thus far on the offensive end, and he’s had trouble creating space off-the-bounce to get to pull-ups in-rhythm.

That looked to be a potential strength of his coming into the league out of Texas Tech, but it just has not materialized. And he hit only 29.9 percent of his 3.5 three-point attempts per game in Year 1 in a bigger role, and in a lesser one in Year 2, only 24.5 percent on 1.6 attempts per game from deep; plus, he has not been much of a driving presence game-to-game.

Now, Anthony Edwards cut into Culver’s role/minutes assuredly, and Jaylen Nowell did some and Malik Beasley could have a key role next season, and that didn’t/won’t help Culver’s cause. But the shot creation has been disappointing from Culver, and while he has shown promise defensively and I believe can be competent there, the offensive incompetence should have Cleveland passing.

Even with the minimal asking price in a possible trade, in terms of picks/seemingly players, Culver is signed through the next two seasons, with him set to make $6.3 million in 2021-22. And while Cleveland could just decline picking up his option for Year 4 eventually, if they were to seek a trade for Culver, one would think they could have interest in picking that up, anyhow.

More from King James Gospel

• 3 possible starting lineups for Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023-24
• The Cavaliers may have snagged a hidden gem in Craig Porter Jr.
• 4 players the Cavaliers should pursue in 2024 free agency
• 6 players Cavaliers might replace Jarrett Allen with by the trade deadline
• This stat is one to keep an eye on for Cavaliers’ Max Strus in years ahead

But, given the inconsistencies with Culver, and with him having his last season cut to 34 games due to an ankle issue that eventually required surgery, and with the likes of Collin Sexton feasibly, Isaac Okoro, I’d think Prince in this case, and maybe Lamar Stevens, I just wouldn’t see how Culver would be a factor.

Personally, while I get that Culver is only 22, for Cleveland, I wouldn’t give up anything for him, and even if the Cavs were to move Sexton, I wouldn’t be giving Culver meaningful minutes.

He’s not a viable catch-and-shoot option, he likely would take a while to get into a rhythm, and the shot creation, once again, has just not been there nearly enough.

That’s not a project I’d want the Cavaliers to invest meaningful playing time in, whereas an alternative, regarding Minnesota I’d have way interest in would be moving Prince and Windler/Dotson and a future 2 in exchange for Ricky Rubio.

Rubio is expiring, but perhaps if he worked out well as a backup 1 for the Cavs next season, they could come to an agreement on a reasonable deal following next season, and generally, I’d think that’d be making use of Prince, if they sought to deal him. Granted, Prince, when healthy, is still a legitimate bench shot creator/shooter, though.

Circling back, driving the point home, if I’m the Cavs, even with the rumored asking price being minimal for Culver from Minnesota, I’d steer clear of a potential trade. I just don’t see how he’d fit in, and the 46.9 percent true shooting clip thus far for him is a pretty rough one, to go with him having shot 50.3 percent from the foul line as a wing.

Pursuing a potential Culver deal/flyer would be a hard pass from me.