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

3 ways Cavs upgrade roster: Two-step trade

This final option is the most complicated, but it’s in play if the Cavs are willing to attempt three-dimensional chess. This is actually something of a stepping stone off of the above scenario, where the Cavs step into a three-team trade to help balance the priorities.

The biggest issue facing the Phoenix Suns in moving Jae Crowder is that they are trying to win games right now. A team trading for Crowder will almost certainly be a team trying to win games as well. Sending the Suns a first-round pick and salary ballast doesn’t help them much.

The Cavs could become the middle-man in such a scenario, taking on a draft pick and/or younger prospect as part of the deal. Then, at a later date, the Cavs flip those assets into a player who can help solve their hole at small forward. The youth of the Cavs’ core helps them be patient enough to pull off such a delayed series of moves.

To put some meat on those bones, let’s lay out the scenario where the Miami Heat trade for Jae Crowder and Cameron Payne and send a first-round pick and Duncan Robinson to the Cavaliers. Cleveland sends Caris LeVert over the Phoenix. The Suns get another playmaker, the Heat get their stretch-4 and some insurance against a Kyle Lowry injury or decline, and the Cavs get one of the league’s best shooters and a first-round pick. Down the line they can flip Robinson and draft capital for another player, or decide that Robinson is a good fit and keep him around.

The trade market has cooled down considerably, and unless Draymond Green is suddenly made available, Crowder is the best player thought to be currently available. The Cavs can jump in and trade for him, but they can also find ways to add value by involving themselves indirectly. Smart front offices are always looking for opportunities.