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Cavaliers Trade Deadline: A primer on everything you need to know

By Josh Cornelissen

CLEVELAND, OHIO - JANUARY 31: Isaac Okoro #35 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket around Josh Hart #3 of the New Orleans Pelicans during the third quarter at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on January 31, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Pelicans 93-90. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JANUARY 31: Isaac Okoro #35 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket around Josh Hart #3 of the New Orleans Pelicans during the third quarter at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on January 31, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Pelicans 93-90. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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Cleveland Cavaliers
Caris LeVert and Cedi Osman, Cleveland Cavaliers. Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images /

The Cavaliers’ situation heading into the Trade Deadline

The Cleveland Cavaliers are 31-21, in fifth-place in the Eastern Conference. Their point differential is strong, third-best in the league and second in the East, and Cleaning the Glass estimates they should have a 33-19 record. Those underlying numbers suggest the Cavs should have confidence in making a playoff run, although they have a young roster without much playoff experience.

That means they should approach the Trade Deadline looking to improve a contender, but that a win-now move would likely be shortsighted as this team seeks to gain its first playoff experience as a group.

Cavaliers’ roster and draft picks

The Cleveland Cavaliers have 14 players under contract, as well as a pair of players on Two-Way contracts. They sit $2.47 million beneath the luxury tax line, and given that this is a team that wants to compete for a long time, staying out of the tax this season before heading into it in the future is likely a priority.

The Cavaliers cannot practically trade a first-round pick at the deadline, as they owe their 2023 first-round pick to Indiana from the Caris LeVert deal last year, and they owe their 2025, 2027 and 2029 first-round picks to the Utah Jazz, as well as swaps in 2026 and 2028, all from the Donovan Mitchell trade. They do own all but one of their second-round picks, and have three extras over the next five years.

Cavaliers’ history at the Trade Deadline

The Cavaliers also have a history of making trade deadline deals, from last year’s move to trade for Caris LeVert, to deals during the LeBron James administration to add players such as Larry Nance Jr., Jordan Clarkson, J.R. Smith or Timofey Mozgov. That makes it even more likely they will do some sort of a deal by the deadline.