Grade the Trade: Cavaliers add P.J. Washington in bold new pitch

How could Cavaliers build the rest of their roster?

How the Cavaliers could build out the rest of the roster after trading for P.J. Washington is a factor in whether or not they should pull the trigger. Losing Ricky Rubio, either because he sits out the entire season, officially retires or is traded requires adding another guard to the mix.

George Hill is an ideal player to target. The Cavaliers don’t need more players to run the offense; even without Rubio they have Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell and Ty Jerome. Having a player well suited to playing off-ball like Hill would be a perfect fit. Hill is an elite shooter, can handle in secondary actions and plays solid defense; he’s a great veteran addition to replace Rubio.

That leaves Cleveland with two more roster spots. Danny Green is an obvious pick, both for his shooting and his experience. It’s possible he is still mobile enough to be a full-time rotation player, but even if he isn’t, he’s one of the best in league history at coming in cold and knocking down shots.

Finally, with Washington coming aboard but Damian Jones going out, the Cavs could use backup rim protection for when Jarrett Allen or Evan Mobley misses time. Isaiah Mobley may be the answer, but they could take a developmental flier on Neemias Queta; signing him to a full-roster contract rather than a two-way could allow them to pluck him away from Sacramento.

If not those players, perhaps the Cavs sign Kendrick Nunn, TJ Warren and Meyers Leonard. Or Sharife Cooper, Terence Davis and Christian Wood. There are plenty of options still on the market, which means trading two players to get back P.J. Washington is just that much more worth it. This is a solid deal worth making.

Grade: A-