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Bill Simmons proposes Cavaliers trade, and it may be the best yet

By Josh Cornelissen

Lamar Stevens and Caris LeVert, Cleveland Cavaliers. and Dorian Finney-Smith, Dallas Mavericks. Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images
Lamar Stevens and Caris LeVert, Cleveland Cavaliers. and Dorian Finney-Smith, Dallas Mavericks. Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images /
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Cleveland Cavaliers
Dorian Finney-Smith, Dallas Mavericks. Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images /

This trade is a great deal for the Cavaliers

Many of the trades that are suggested for the Cavaliers focus on one need or the other, often at the expense of the big picture. Trading for Doug McDermott may seem like it would juice the offense, but given his defensive deficiencies there is no way he would see the floor in the playoffs. Trading Kevin Love for a guard leaves a gaping hole for a stretch big in the rotation. So on and so forth.

What’s great about this trade is that the Cavaliers get a player that perfectly meets their biggest needs. Losing Caris LeVert hurts, but his value to the Cavs is mostly as redundancy for when Darius Garland or Donovan Mitchell miss time. To reach their ceiling the Cavs need a reliable 3-and-D wing, and Dorian Finney-Smith is exactly that.

“DFS” has the size to defend power forwards and the length and agility to stay with guards on switches. The Cavs can put him on an opponent’s best wing player and expect great results, and while his shot is a little cold this year his track record suggests he’s a knockdown guy when he can catch and shoot in an open pocket.

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The Cavaliers instantly get their fifth starter and have a pair of reliable combo forwards in Finney-Smith and Dean Wade to lock down that small forward position. If the Mavericks would say yes, this is the kind of trade the Cavs should be looking to make. Well done, Mr. Simmons.