As of now, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been putting the Eastern Conference on notice. So far, they are sitting third in the East with a 13-7 record. They have also gotten to this record with the injury bug trying to mess with them as well.
Through these injuries, the Cavs have shown the resilience of being able to win as a team, not just winning through their stars. Their role players have been able to step up when the starters have been injured or struggled and have shown the rest of the NBA that they have given the Cavs a strong depth. They are a clear top team in the league right now.
With this being said, can they still improve? The Cavs have a strong starting lineup consisting of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Their starting small forward spot has been a constant rotation of Caris LeVert, Dean Wade, and Lamar Stevens. Here is the question: can any of these guys be moved?
Who could the Cavs look to trade for an upgrade?
Dean Wade has been an amazing guy for the Cavs and in my opinion, should not be traded. Wade has been perhaps the most versatile player for the Cavs with being able to be a strong fit at the wing and as a big. Lamar Stevens wouldn’t be able to bring enough value back in a trade. This leaves Caris LeVert.
LeVert has been a good fill-in when Garland was injured and has been putting up decent stats. So far, he has been putting up 11.6 points, 4.9 assists, and 4.5 rebounds. LeVert does have the worst shooting percentage on the Cavs with 36.4% from the floor, but he is shooting 37.3% from the perimeter.
Caris LeVert has an expiring contract of about $18.8 million. The Cavs have not signed him to an extension, but they could trade him to get some good value. The Cavs do have an open roster spot and they could add Dylan Windler or Isaac Okoro into the deal if they wanted to.
There is a big trade the Cavs could possibly pull off, a three-team trade with the Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets.
Here is what the trade itself would look like:
Why would the Cavaliers do this?
The Cavs would do this trade for two reasons: improved depth and extra defense. In a piece a few weeks ago we discussed a trade directly with the Dallas Mavericks that would bring Dorian Finney-Smith to Cleveland; simply put, the Cavs could use his defense as a starting small forward. He is mostly a 3 and D wing who can get you points when you need them.
For Royce O’Neale, there are several reasons. Firstly, he is a great 3 and D player just like Finney-Smith. He could be a starter or come off the bench as well. Another thing is that Royce O’Neale and Donovan Mitchell were close friends in Utah and that could help the Cavs. It could help Mitchell want to stay when he re-signs and could help keep the Cavs in contention for longer than we think.
Lastly, this trade gives the Cavs two unselfish players and an extra roster spot. This would mean two open spots in total, which the Cavs could use to sign two free agents if needed. This could possibly be the line-up if the Cavs complete this deal:
Starters: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Dorian Finney-Smith, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
Bench: Ricky Rubio, Cedi Osman, Royce O’Neale, Dean Wade, Kevin Love
This would add on to the amazing defense the Cavs already have and would be a smart move for the team to make
Why would the Dallas Mavericks do this?
The reason should be quite clear: to give Luka Doncic some actual help. Luka has had to carry the Mavs’ offense and could burn out by the end of the season. By doing this trade, the Mavs could give Luka two other players who are great at creating offense in Kyrie Irving and Caris LeVert. Kyrie could help get some of the attention off of Luka and LeVert can be a strong third or fourth option behind Luka and Kyrie.
It might be possible that Kyrie could improve his situation in the NBA by joining a new team. He and LeVert could help this Mavs’ team largely. This could be a possible starting lineup Mavs’ coach Jason Kidd could use:
Kyrie Irving, Luka Doncic, Caris LeVert, Maxi Kleber, Christian Wood (If they decide to start Wood)
Why would the Brooklyn Nets do this?
The Brooklyn Nets would do this for two reasons: to get a fresh start from the Kyrie issues and get younger. The Brooklyn Nets have been on a scary roller coaster with Kyrie and have been one of the biggest dumpster fires in the league. They need a new start, and they need to bring on guys to improve their depth.
Spencer Dinwiddie could be a great playmaker for the Nets with his return. Tim Hardaway Jr. could be a strong shooter for this team and be a part of a shooting duo with Seth Curry. Isaac Okoro and Dylan Windler could provide some good young depth for this team or be used in trades in the future. This could be a possible starting lineup for the Nets:
Spencer Dinwiddie, Tim Hardaway Jr, Kevin Durant, Ben Simmons, Nic Claxton.
This deal could improve all these teams and it gives all parties involved a good return. If the Cavs make this deal, it may set us up for a strong and bright future.