Play it safe, or swing for the fences?
That's the question in front of Koby Altman and the Cleveland Cavaliers front office. They have the best record in the Eastern Conference by a comfortable margin and have ripped off two double-digit winning streaks this season, including a 15-0 start to the year. While they have dealt with some injury woes, largely their core has been intact and proven it can play with and defeat any team in the league.
The Cavaliers, making a leap under first-hear head coach Kenny Atkinson, may just want to approach the Trade Deadline with small goals in mind. Perhaps tinker around the edges, pick up a minimum player, or send a couple of seconds for a depth piece.
Thus far, however, the signaling from the Cleveland front office is that they are considering any and all trades -- including ambitious moves to consolidate their depth and add another high-end player. While they don't have the scratch to pursue another star, the most popular player on the trade market might be the ideal player to reach for.
The Father of Fake Trades, Bill Simmons himself, recently hosted a podcast with Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports where they proposed a number of trade ideas for NBA teams. That included one swing-for-the-fences trade involving the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The player the Cavaliers could target? None other than Cameron Johnson of the Brooklyn Nets. The Cavs have reportedly called the Nets about Johnson, as has nearly every other team in the league. Could Cleveland put together the winning bid -- and should they?
Cameron Johnson trade details
Johnson makes $22.5 million this season, so the Cavaliers have to put together a package that gets them close to that number. They are not over the first luxury tax apron, so they could take back more money than they send out if they needed to in a deal.
At the same time, the Cavaliers have to incentivize the Nets to pick their trade package over another team's. That is somewhat difficult to start, as Cleveland has just one first-round pick available to trade after cleaning the coffers in the Donovan Mitchell deal.
Here is the deal as proposed by Simmons:
The money on this deal is essentially a wash, and it would bring Johnson onto a loaded Cavaliers roster. Adding another wing with size like Johnson opens up a number of lineup options, not only boosting the team's shooting and scoring but opening up the playbook for Kenny Atkinson.
Cleveland has often gone to Georges Niang at power forward to put spacing on the court next to one of their centers, but Niang lacks the athleticism to survive in most playoff settings. Johnson is an immediate upgrade, not only a shooter but someone capable of finishing at all levels and even creating some of his own offense.
The Cavaliers would certainly feel the loss, however, even if they retain their key contributors in this deal. No one else on the roster fills the exact same role as Isaac Okoro, whose point-of-attack defense continues to be underrated. Jaylon Tyson is also a player with a lot of upside that the organization really believes in; would they be willing to give him up to upgrade for the short-term?
There is also the question of whether this deal would bring enough value to the Brooklyn Nets. All three of Niang, Okoro and Tyson are under contract for next season, digging into the Nets' cap space. On the other hand, they are already in line to have the most space by far in the entire league, well over a max slot if such a player even wanted to go to Brooklyn. For the right price they may be willing to take back money past this season.
This deal comes down to how both teams view Jaylon Tyson -- the 2031 first has plenty of upside, but the Cavs' core is young enough that it's not a slam-dunk asset like long-term picks from teams like the Phoenix Suns or Los Angeles Lakers. Niang is a neutral trade asset on his deal, Okoro probably a hair negative as matching salary when you factor in the two more years remaining on his deal.
The swing factor is Jaylon Tyson. Do the Nets value him enough to take a swing at developing him into a future starter? Do the Cavaliers believe too much in his potential to trade it in for a lower-ceiling win-now move?
In the end, another team probably brings a stronger offer to the table, making it a moot point. If they don't, however, the Cavaliers should think long and hard about this trade - it may just be the home-run swing this team needs.