The Cleveland Cavaliers are sitting at the fourth seed in a loaded Eastern Conference. They have a 26-15 record and are 2.5 games behind the first seed. The Cavs are first in opponents’ points per game with 106.6 points. They are also second in defensive rating with a rating of 109.6 and second in net rating with a mark of +5.1.
The jump between this season and last season has been the addition of Donovan Mitchell. He has been a strong leader for this young Cavs team. Besides creating a new scoring record in a single game for the Cavs with 71, Mitchell has been the motor for this team. He has paired well with Darius Garland in the backcourt and with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, the starting lineup has been good.
The problem is that Cleveland needs to find a starting small forward. Luckily, it is the biggest problem they need to solve. They have gone through a constant rotation of players like Caris LeVert and Lamar Stevens. They are good players but are better-suited for the bench within the Cavaliers’ system.
There are a lot of wings out there that can fit the Cavs’ starting small forward spot, but one on the Detroit Pistons could be one of the best fits. This player is Saddiq Bey, a player whose name has popped up in trade rumors. He is only 23 years old and can be a part of the Cavs young core.
Bey is putting up 13.4 points per game and 3.2 rebounds. He started every game for the Detroit Pistons last season, but with the addition of Bojan Bogdanovic, Bey has been up and down between the bench and starting lineup.
Here, we’ll examine two possible trades for the Cavs to acquire him.
Trade scenario No. 1: A deal between the Cavs and Pistons
This deal is basically the Cavs gaining Bey and bench help while the Pistons get a young Okoro and extra money for the offseason. The Cavaliers would do this to not only fill in their small forward spot, but also upgrade their backup center with Nerlens Noel.
Noel would fit in nicely behind Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. His presence would allow the Cavs to give their starters breaks while continuing to be a presence in the paint, where Noel can be a rim deterrent. Cory Joseph is basically a fill-in to make the trade work financially.
The Pistons would do this to continue their tanking process. It would be a good thing for the Pistons if they are able to draft Victor Wembanyama and have good cap space to sign some important missing pieces. LeVert is on an expiring deal for $18.7M and Lopez is getting $1.8M. This would allow for over $20M to be added to the cap they would have with their other expiring deals.
The Pistons would also receive a 2025 2nd (Via MIL) and 2027 2nd (Via DEN) from the Cavs. The second-round picks are used as an incentive for the Pistons. This isn’t the only possible deal, however.
Trade scenario No. 2: A three-team deal with the Cavs, Pistons and Bucks
This would be the trade that gives the Cavs Saddiq Bey and the Milwaukee Bucks Bojan Bogdanovic. The Cavs would benefit from Bey and Noel for the same reasons as the first trade, but Joe Ingles would be great as well. Ingles is mostly a defensive sharpshooter and could be good for the Cavs bench. He is also a former teammate of Donovan Mitchell as well. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff could come up with a lot of good lineups with these players added to the roster.
The Pistons are receiving LeVert and Okoro for the same reasons as before. Grayson Allen would be a wing player used for them and a possible trade piece down the road. George Hill has an expiring contract of $4M. This would allow the Pistons to have over $22M for free agency. The Pistons could use this to continue to tank for Wembanyama, but also have the ability to sign players as well. The Pistons would also receive a 2023 2nd (Via GSW) from the Cavs.
The Milwaukee Bucks mainly do this deal to get their hands on Bojan Bogdanovic. Robin Lopez and Raul Neto are primarily fillers and expiring contracts. Lopez would be making his return there, but it is unknown if they would re-sign him. Losing Allen would hurt a little bit, but the Bucks may only use a small rotation during the playoffs. Bogdanovic would help them in their depth, but also be a good shooter for them. The Bucks would also receive a 2025 2nd (Via MIL) and 2027 2nd (Via DEN) from the Cavs, from there.
Both of these trades benefit all teams involved in one way or another. The Cavaliers need to make a move for some kind of wing soon before the trade deadline comes.