The Cleveland Cavaliers have shown resilience and immense talent already this season, but they are not without flaws.
After a 16-game win streak to open the season, the Cavs have held onto the league's best record at 18-3. While Cleveland has had favorable competition, they have also taken down the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks. The Cavaliers established themselves as legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference and employ one of the best young cores the Association can offer.
Under coach Kenny Atkinson, the Cavs have a determined culture with a winning attitude. After two embarrassing losses to the Atlanta Hawks back-to-back, Cleveland battled to a win over the Celtics. Still, Cleveland's losses, and some of their wins, have shown cracks in the armor. The Cavaliers are one of the worst teams out of the halftime break, losing the third quarter battle far too often. While they still can come out on top, their sluggish trend after half creates a heavy burden in the final 12 minutes.
Additionally, Cleveland's closing lineup has seen some questionable results. Currently, Atkinson has trusted in a frontcourt of Evan Mobley and Georges Niang for the game's final minutes. Niang offers greater spacing than Jarrett Allen, and Mobley's offensive growth gives Cleveland a dynamic center in the middle. Defensively, though, Niang is a major step back from Allen. The Cavs lack true frontcourt depth or size, a weakness opponents have not hesitated to exploit.
The Cavaliers are special. It's time to go all in.
Through 21 games, the Cavs lead the NBA in points per game (122), field goal percentage (51) and three-point percentage (40.5). If the Cavaliers are going to make a statement run in the playoffs, this is the season to do it. Every member of the organization has bought into Atkinson's system, and the team is seeing the benefits of cohesion in the core and supporting cast.
With the lingering frontcourt issues, the Cavaliers need to be buyers on the trade market. Whether they wait until the deadline approaches or make a move in the middle of the year, the Cavs have something too special not to capitalize on their potential.
Finding the right pieces is not hard, either. The Cavs have an answer for almost everything except spacing and size in their frontcourt bench units. In a recent article from Bleacher Report, Cleveland's top three potential trade targets answer these issues. Dorian Finney-Smith, Larry Nance, Jr. and Cody Martin were named as ideal targets.
With Brooklyn reportedly lowering the price on Finney-Smith, it might be the perfect time for the Cavaliers to revisit trade conversations after targeting the Nets forward earlier this summer.
With an assortment of mid-size contracts to move, Cleveland can be a worthy trade partner for any of these franchises. Each player listed solves at least one of the Cavs' issues, but none of them are a perfect addition on their own. With eyes on the Finals, though, the Cavaliers have no reason not to explore a larger, multi-team deal to bring in a couple of high-end role players to fill out their rotations.
Building the deal
The Cavaliers need size, shooting and defense. While Martin provides shooting and good defense, he is another undersized forward. This leaves Nance and Finney-Smith, two idealistic and proven veterans who could bolster this Cleveland squad and bring them to the next level.
In this move, the Cavaliers deal out their two most-appealing contracts and their last available first-round pick in an all-in move. Ideally, the Cavs could add protections to the pick or convert it into a swap. Caris LeVert's expiring $16.5 million contract could entice the Brooklyn Nets and matches Finney-Smith's salary well.
Although LeVert has been a spark plug offensively for the Cavaliers, his contract size makes him highly valuable for a rebuilding team such as the Nets. Additionally, the emergence of Ty Jerome as a score-first big combo guard could overshadow LeVert's role in the past few seasons.
As for the Hawks, they add a veteran shooter on a declining contract alongside two second-rounders. Admittedly, Atlanta's side of the deal is much less than what the Nets receive. But, the Hawks are also shipping out the worse player of the two Cleveland receives. Atlanta gets roughly $3 million in salary relief without losing too much value on the court.
Most importantly, should the Cavaliers say yes?
Is this the right move for Cleveland?
The Cavaliers are in a great spot this season, and making a trade would have to bring back players who can quickly fit into Atkinson's offensive system. Cleveland loses a major piece in LeVert. He is a high-volume scorer and has helped the Cavs in a number of tight matches already. Finney-Smith and Nance are not even comparable as ball handlers or shot creators. Both are specialists, with DFS as an ideal versatile defensive wing with solid shooting on the other end and Nance as a small-ball stretch five.
In this deal, the Cavaliers must lean into the scoring Jerome has provided off the bench and must believe that Max Strus' eventual return will make up for LeVert's absence. It is far from a guarantee, but if the Cavs have to shorten their rotation in the postseason, adding DFS and Nance as frontcourt options could be much more valuable than another streaky combo guard like LeVert.
As for the loss of Niang, he has not been an incredible shooter and is a negative defender. But, he is clearly an impactful cultural leader for the team. His presence gives the Cavaliers a noticeable edge and energy both on and off the court.
If the Cavaliers make this move, the roles for both DFS and Nance are clear. Finney-Smith fits perfectly into Cleveland's ideal closing lineup. Replacing Niang, the Cavs can roll out Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Isaac Okoro, DFS and Mobley. This offers shooting, defense and star power. Finney-Smith and Okoro are two of the league's best perimeter defenders. With Mobley lurking in the post, rival teams would have little options on offense.
As for Nance, a reunion with the former Cleveland fan favorite would be perfect. Not only does Nance provide another option in closing lineups, but he can give the Cavs versatility in the frontcourt throughout the full 48 minutes. The Akron native has averaged 7.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in just 15.6 minutes per game this season. In nine games played, Nance has shot 63.6 percent from three. While he will clearly regress to the mean eventually, his career 35.2 percent makes Nance a perfect floor spacer for this Cavs squad.
Overall, there is no need for the Cavaliers to strike a deal right now; however, the front office cannot be blinded from the apparent issues this contender still has. They are up against dangerous competition with the reigning champion Celtics in the East and the multitude of contenders out west.
Considering the Cleveland Cavaliers' remaining problems, though, this deal is worth the price. Despite a hot start and plenty of positive signs, Cleveland is imperfect. Finney-Smith and Nance solve these issues and are not overpriced. They are valuable veterans with some playoff experience. This season is the best time for the Cavaliers to buy into this team without losing any core players.