1 dream, 1 reach, 1 realistic non-star wing trade target for Cavaliers offseason
Reach target - Josh Green, Dallas Mavericks
Although the Cavaliers have accelerated their rebuild back to playoff contention, they are still one of the younger cores across the league. If the front office targets younger wings with veteran experience, the list shrinks significantly, but Josh Green of the Dallas Mavericks could be an intriguing target this summer.
In the Mavs' Finals run, Green averaged 5.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 18.1 minutes per game off the bench. While Green was not an integral part of each offensive set, the 24-year-old wing consistently provided needed floor spacing, knocking down 39 percent of his threes. He also gave Dallas an athletic perimeter defender to cover for Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
Green is not a star player and does not project to become one. Still, a young wing with athleticism, reliable shooting and Finals experience would be a massive step forward for the Cavaliers next season. He did not require a high usage rate to impact winning in the playoffs. A player of Green's ilk would elevate Cleveland's playoff potential instantly and perfectly complement their core as a second unit contributor.
Following a trip to the NBA Finals, the Mavs are exploring the trade market to add another high-level contributor to make another run next postseason. Their best trade pieces to offer are Green and Tim Hardaway, Jr. Prying Green from the Mavericks would require creativity in the deal. If Cleveland's core stays together, Dallas will not find any other Cavaliers as viable contributors to make them a title favorite next year. But, a multi-team deal could give the Cavs a chance to use their remaining financial flexibility this summer to steal Green from Texas.
Since the Mavericks are above the first tax apron, the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) restricts them from taking on more salary than they send out. The Mavs have recently been tied to trade talks for Portland Trailblazers forward Jerami Grant. Trading for Grant, owed $29.8 million next season, would likely require a third team to get involved for the Mavs to pull off the financial acrobatics to let Portland shed salary in a Grant move.
If the Cavaliers are willing to forfeit their Mid-Level Exception this summer and take on more salary as the facilitator of the deal, they could leverage themselves to bring Green to the Land and evolve their wing depth to an entirely new level. The path to get Green is not easy, but an ideal offseason could see the Cavs pulling off a trade heist similar to their 2021 acquisition of Jarrett Allen in the James Harden to Brooklyn deal.