2 Cavaliers who are expendable, 3 they can't afford to trade

No. 3: Ty Jerome is expendable

As one player rises, another one falls. The play of Craig Porter Jr. has been outstanding and very necessary; without him stepping up the Cavaliers would be in a nasty bind and likely would have a much worse record.

What has happened, then, is that as Porter Jr. proves himself invaluable, it has come at the expense of Ty Jerome. With Ricky Rubio away from the team Jerome was expected to be an important part of the rotation, but his extended absence with an ankle injury (and no return yet in sight) has allowed Porter to replace him in both the rotation and the pecking order.

The one area where Jerome has the advantage over Porter is shooting, where Porter is 2-for-6 for the season (33 percent and a tiny 10.5 percent 3-point attempt rate). Jerome, on the other hand, shot 38.9 percent from deep last season, attempting 3-pointers 37.2 percent of the time (or well over three times as often as Porter).

Again Jerome is foiled, however, as the shooting of Max Strus, Georges Niang and Dean Wade give J.B. Bickerstaff and the coaching staff other options to space the court. Porter is likely a better defender, rebounder and finisher already at this point in his career, making Jerome a player the Cavs should feel comfortable including in trade discussions.