Cavs News: Middleman again, DG motivation, most active deadline teams since 2000

As the Feb. 9 NBA Trade Deadline draws closer, with that coming on Thursday afternoon at 3 PM, there seems to be a plethora of teams that could be looking to make a move. The Cleveland Cavaliers appear to be a club of that ilk, too, and they’ve been linked to a number of wing trade targets.

Recently, Cam Reddish of the New York Knicks has been a player mentioned that could potentially be acquired by the Cavaliers, and perhaps another fresh start could pay off for him.

Also, per a recent report from NBA Insider Marc Stein (subscription required) from his Substack, Josh Hart of the Portland Trail Blazers is a player that has generated “strong trade interest” from the Cavs, among other clubs. Hart could provide a quality two-way presence for the Cavaliers, but with others involved, it is difficult to forecast exactly what kind of role he’d have with Cleveland.

Regardless, it’ll be intriguing to see what occurs in coming days, and/or if the Cavs end up standing pat.

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The Cavaliers being involved in the prior James Harden blockbuster trade when he went to the Brooklyn Nets has paid dividends for the Wine and Gold. Most notably in the deal, Cleveland landed Jarrett Allen. Allen has blossomed into being one of the NBA’s best two-way 5s, and he’s one of the primary anchors for Cleveland’s second-ranked defense.

In that prior multi-team deal, the Cavaliers were one of two other teams in a deal that involved the Houston Rockets then sending Harden to Brooklyn. The Indiana Pacers were as well, and they then netted Caris LeVert, who they would later deal to Cleveland near last year’s deadline.

Along those lines, KJG’s Gibson Lowenberg suggested how the Cavs could function as a middleman once again in a Nets deal, well as the sole one this go-round. That was in a reaction to the news of Kyrie Irving’s recent trade demand from Friday.

Darius Garland was not selected as an All-Star this go-round, but it’s not as if he’s not been playing great basketball. On the year, he’s had 22.0 points and 8.2 assists per outing, and he’s rebounded from a bit of a tough start as he’s gotten healthier.

It was unfortunate that Garland wasn’t able to make the All-Star this season after his All-Star nod in 2022, however, it’s clear it’s going to be added juice for him to close out the year. In that realm, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com detailed in a report how that’s “motivation” for Garland, who had a big night in Cleveland’s 128-113 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday.

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With the trade deadline for the league fast approaching, it was fascinating to read a piece centered on the most active deadline teams at the deadline since 2000.

That was penned by David Kenyon of Bleacher Report in an article published on Saturday. And one would think the Cavs could be involved in a deal this go-round, as we alluded to.

Next up for the Cavs: The Cavaliers will take on the Indiana Pacers on Sunday in the first leg of their next back-to-back; following that, they’ll play the Washington Wizards on Monday.