As the Cleveland Cavaliers enter the offseason, it’s time to take inventory of their trade assets. Fans of the team may look around at the league and find high-octane trade targets, but that doesn’t mean the Cavs have the ammunition to go out and get them.
Similarly, understanding not just how valuable their trade assets are but which ones are the most valuable is vital for the Cavs’ front office to be successful in negotiations. With that in mind, let’s rank every significant asset the Cavs have from 13 to 1.
Note that there will be no free agents on this list; even though they technically have some manner of Bird Rights on players like Caris LeVert, Raul Neto and Robin Lopez, that won’t be factored into this list. How do the players and picks controlled by Cleveland shake out? Let’s start with this year’s upcoming draft pick.
Cavaliers’ trade asset No. 13: 2023 second-round pick
The Cleveland Cavaliers will not make a single selection with one of their original picks in June’s NBA Draft. Their first-round pick is in the hands of the Indiana Pacers, courtesy of the Caris LeVert trade, while their second-round pick has been swapped around. Instead of picking at No. 55, they instead swap up to pick in Golden State’s spot at No. 49.
This pick has some value; it isn’t worse than 49th, as a future pick might be, and it would net a team a player right now to add to their bench. It doesn’t boast much upside, though, and very few good players have come out of the 49th pick. It’s a low-level asset but it could be in play for a trade around the draft.