The Cleveland Cavaliers had an awesome Trade Deadline.
It starts with their trade for De'Andre Hunter, adding size and defense on the perimeter to finally bring in a true small forward. To do so while not giving up either Jaylon Tyson or their 2031 first-round pick and getting out of the luxury tax at the same time was a masterstroke from Koby Altman and the Cleveland front office.
What's more, their competition in the Eastern Conference mostly sat on their hands. The Boston Celtics and New York Knicks each sold reserve pieces to save money, otherwise doing nothing to upgrade their rosters. The Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks recognized they aren't going anywhere and sold pieces. The Orlando Magic and Indiana Pacers were essentially silent. The Milwaukee Bucks were busy but didn't obviously make their team better.
In fact, the only other team in the entire Eastern Conference that made itself better on the court was the 13th-place Toronto Raptors. The Cavaliers upgraded their roster at the deadline while the rest of the East stood pat or got worse.
What's next for Cleveland? They were already at 14 players and then traded two players for Hunter, so they have two open roster spots. Given that they addressed their perimeter defense needs by acquiring Hunter, there remains one obvious move for the Cavaliers in the days to come.
They need to sign another center.
The Cavaliers' next move? Sign another center
As we have chronicled for the past couple of months, Tristan Thompson is no longer a viable rotation player for a good team. Whether he fell off the age cliff or hasn't overcome his need for performance help (Thompson served a suspension last season for performance-enhancing drugs) he no longer can justify being in the Cavaliers' rotation.
Cleveland values his presence in the locker room as both a franchise legend and someone who has played in NBA Finals game, so they didn't dump him at the Trade Deadline. They do need to find another big man to add to the mix, however. If Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen were to miss time in the playoffs, the Cavaliers need an option other than playing Tristan Thompson at center.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson could elect to play Dean Wade minutes as a smallball center, which he has done at times, but that is a changeup option. The Cavs need a large body who they can trust to play 10-12 minutes in a playoff game if necessary. With the Trade Deadline in the rearview mirror, that means it's time to search the buyout market.
Some of their fellow East rivals are limited in who they can sign off the buyout market, but the Cavaliers are free to sign any player that they like and can legally offer them more than the minimum, although such a move would push them back into the luxury tax so it's highly doubtful they do. There should be options available for a minimum deal, especially to sign on with the chance of winning a ring.
Players will begin negotiating buyouts in the coming days, and the options for Cleveland on the free agent market will become clear. They may talk to veterans at other positions, and in the meantime could sign someone to a 10-day contract, but ultimately what they need to do is find another center to add to the roster for the playoff run.