In the midst of the endless churning of the rumor mill, there emerges every now and then reporting on an actual trade. Not one team calling about a player, or armchair trade creators pairing up teams with targets, but actual trades that teams discussed. That happened to the Cleveland Cavaliers this week.
The Cavs have actually been at the center of rumors for a few weeks now as everyone tries to figure out who the team will trade for to shore up the small forward position. From Tim Hardaway Jr. and Doug McDermott to Bojan Bogdanovic and Terrence Ross the Cavs are being linked to all manner of players.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been linked to a number of wing targets.
Over the weekend Marc Stein, an NBA Insider sharing league intel from his Substack, dropped a number of tantalizing tidbits about which players are being discussed behind the scenes. He shared that the Cavaliers have been involved in talks about a three-team trade involving the Atlanta Hawks and the Utah Jazz.
Let’s see what the trade construction could be to link these three teams. Is there a trade that would work for all three teams? And is it worth it for the Cavaliers to jump in and pull the trigger?
Looking at the 3-team trade with the Cavaliers, Jazz and Hawks
The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking for an upgrade on the wing, and their best ammunition is Caris LeVert. Bereft of first-round picks after the Donovan Mitchell trade, the Cavs have to hope that the team with their wing target values LeVert. If not, a third team has to be brought in who does want LeVert. In this case, the Cavs find two teams who want to work out a deal anyway and the result is a three-team combination.
If this trade were to be put together in reality it’s likely every team involved would ask for draft compensation to come back to them. The reason the Utah Jazz haven’t traded for John Collins yet is that they reportedly want a draft pick from the Hawks to take on his salary, while the Hawks want more back for a longtime starter. The Cavs value LeVert highly but here they get back Malik Beasley to bolster their rotation and Nickeil Alexander-Walker to balance the money.
Ultimately, the Jazz might do this to form a truly formidable frontcourt rotation. Walker Kessler is the rim protector, Lauri Markkanen the All-Star and Jarred Vanderbilt the do-it-all forward. Collins would step in as the interior offensive powerhouse. If they want to stay competitive this could be a chance at buying low on a very talented big man.
For the Hawks, they seem to want Collins out of town by the Trade Deadline. Given the lack of suitors for Collins, it could be a victory for the Hawks to move him without attaching an asset, and Caris LeVert can help them this season and then come off the books this summer. That flexibility is worth something to the Hawks, too.
Would the Cavaliers do this trade?
There are a number of steps to work through in deciding whether this is a trade worth doing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. First, is Malik Beasley a player that would help the team? That answer is quite clearly a yes. Beasley is one of the best high-volume shooters in the league, a true movement shooter with the shot versatility to get it off on the move and over contests. The Cavs don’t have a player like Beasley and they could certainly use one.
The next step is whether or not adding Beasley is worth losing Caris LeVert. Defensively it’s a step-down, but the Cavs do have other good wing defenders. LeVert’s offensive skillset is at least partially (if not majorly) redundant, while Beasley’s shooting fits around anyone. It’s close enough that the Cavs can certainly justify the swap.
Finally, is there a better deal out there? Tim Hardaway Jr. is another popular trade target as a volume shooter, but Beasley is unquestionably a more versatile gunner and on a cheaper, shorter deal. Doug McDermott wouldn’t see the court in meaningful games. A more balanced 3-and-D wing is the best fit, but those aren’t really available at this deadline.
The Cavaliers only have one real bullet in the chamber, so they need to pick their target carefully. If Malik Beasley is that guy he will almost certainly cost Caris LeVert. The Hawks and Jazz are both difficult sells to balance out the three-team trade, but if it’s on the table the Cavs could very well say yes.