3 different ways Cavs can upgrade roster in a Jae Crowder trade

The Cleveland Cavaliers are building something big. They aren’t languishing in NBA no-man’s land, they aren’t tanking, and they aren’t clinging to an aging team losing its grip on contention. They have been in those places before. This season the Cavs have a young, exciting core and want to figure out the smaller steps around their stars to propel this team to the top of the mountain.

One level for improvement is via trade, as the Cavs know all too well; Jarrett Allen and Donovan Mitchell both arrived by trade. The current top option in trade rumors is Jae Crowder of the Phoenix Suns, who has made it clear he wants to be moved.

Jae Crowder is a solid veteran available on the trade market. What are the three ways the Cavs could make use of the situation to improve their team?

Crowder would fill a need on the Cavs, and we discussed why it might be worth it for Cleveland to trade for Crowder and what a trade might look like. Yet there are also downsides to adding Crowder, from his age to the bad history between Crowder and the team, as many Cavs fans were quick to point out in response to the rumors in the past couple of weeks.

Is there more than one way to turn a Jae Crowder trade into a positive move for the Cavs? Yes, there probably are. Let’s look at the three primary ways the Cavs can get involved, and how each one would benefit the team.