The Cleveland Cavaliers spent a lot of money this summer on shooting. That approach makes sense, as this roster struggled to field capable shooting outside of their star-studded backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. They had the league’s best defense, but it came largely because they played non-shooters like Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and Isaac Okoro big minutes.
In the playoffs, the New York Knicks took advantage of that lack of spacing, packing the paint and helping aggressively on Mitchell and Garland. The result was a lot of missed shots and a give-game exit. That made Mission No. 1 this summer acquiring shooting; mission accomplished.
The Cavaliers may have swapped defense for shooting
The downside of the players the Cavaliers added is that none of them are good defenders. Max Strus is fine on that end and competes, as does Ty Jerome, but neither is any sort of a stopper. Gerges Niang executes the scheme but is going to be exposed frequently. It begs the question: did the Cavs swap out one problem (shooting) only to create another (perimeter defense)?
Having players good at one or the other helps them build different lineups, so it’s better to have the shooting than not to have it. But what the Cavaliers truly need is a player who can both shoot and play competent defense. Those players are hard to find, as most teams want to keep the ones that they have.
The Brooklyn Nets are a rare team with an excess of wings, and they might be a team to target in a trade. Let’s look at a recently proposed deal that could add that two-way player the Cavaliers so desperately need.
Laying out a trade with the Nets
The Cavaliers are not flush with tradeable assets, unless they want to move one of their core four players. There are certainly viable trade ideas out there that involve turning Jarrett Allen into a wing or two. Assuming the Cavs want to upgrade on the margins around those four, they need to use some smaller matching salary and their collection of second-round picks to make it happen.
That was the impetus behind the latest trade idea from Bleacher Report. They concocted a deal where the Cavaliers add 3-and-D wing Royce O’Neale, and in exchange get veteran point guard Ricky Rubio and a pair of future second-round picks. Here’s what it would look like:
The 2026 Los Angeles Lakers pick is probably the most valuable pick they have available to trade, unless you count a pick swap for their 2030 pick. The Brooklyn Nets are holding out for a first-round pick for O’Neale, but if that was available they likely would have pulled the trigger already. Two seconds and a solid veteran might get it done.
For all that the Nets have an overgrowth of wings, they are relatively thin at point guard b behind Spencer Dinwiddie; Cam Thomas is more of a score-first combo guard, and Dennis Smith Jr. is a score-last defensive wing. Both can fill minutes at the 1, but having a veteran point guard who can set everyone up and mentor Thomas into developing as a playmaker is an excellent idea for the Nets.
This seems like fair value for Brooklyn; if they are on board, would the Cavaliers say yes?
Would the Cavaliers make this trade?
We have already established how much the Cavaliers need a player like Royce O’Neale. He is a career 38.4 percent shooter from downtown, and he is remarkably consistent; he has hit between 37.7 percent and 38.9 percent from 3-point range in each of the last five seasons. Cleveland can count on his shot.
O’Neale entered the league late, and he is already 30 years old. His athleticism has taken a small step back, so in the realm of perimeter defenders he’s not Mikal Bridges or Kawhi Leonard. Even so, he is a strong defender with decent-enough mobility who can defend guards and forwards. He would be an obvious choice to start at small forward and defend the opposing team’s best perimeter player.
Is it worth trading two picks and Ricky Rubio? The team loves having Rubio around, and his influence has been tremendous on Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell. He also had a poor season a year ago coming off of his torn ACL; he should be better now, further removed from the injury, but it’s hard for the Cavs to count on him.
On the other hand, they know firsthand what it’s like not to have point guard depth. When Rubio went down with his injury, the Cavs found themselves floundering for backup point guard minutes; when Garland missed a few games in that stretch it was a disaster, with Brandon Goodwin, Kevin Pangos and Rajon Rondo unable to hold down the fort.
Trading Rubio would likely mean trying to find a replacement on the market as a third point guard behind Ty Jerome. The pickings are slim, but the obvious choice may be close to home: signing Sharife Cooper to a contract. Other options would include TyTy Washington if-and-when he is waived by the Oklahoma City Thunder, or bringing back Raul Neto.
Finding a third point guard is easier than finding a 3-and-D wing, and O’Neale is a solid fit with what the Cavs are building: elite shot-creation at guard, elite defense at big, and shooting in between. The cost is reasonable, and there aren’t exactly a host of other options banging down the door. This is a move worth making.
Grade: B+