3 star players Cavaliers should trade for this summer to pair with Donovan Mitchell

Cleveland could enter the Paul George sweepstakes

Years ago, the Cavaliers neared a trade to bring Paul George to Cleveland alongside LeBron James. Instead, George was sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder before eventually joining the Los Angeles Clippers. This summer, the Clippers and George will be in a seemingly heated negotiation for his next contract. If talks go awry after a poor end to the postseason, PG could once again be on the trade market, looking for one final chance to be a part of a championship contender.

While George is not the fearless slasher and athlete that he was in his prime years with the Indiana Pacers, he is still one of the best two-way forwards in the NBA. He can never be ignored by defenses anywhere on the court, and his defense can scare even the best into passing up a shot. Georges' playoff resume is not perfect, but he has a wealth of awe-inspiring postseason runs in his past, including the Clippers' first appearance in the Western Conference Finals in 2021.

In his 13th season, PG-13 is averaging 22.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals with a 39.6 three-point percentage on 8.3 attempts per game. George is still an elite talent, earning his ninth All-Star appearance this year in a stacked West. Adding PG would be a massive upgrade for the Cavs if they can strike a balanced deal with LAC.

The Clippers' price tag for George would be high, but they also intend to fight for contention next season, meaning they would not be intrigued by draft picks. George will be owed over $40 million next season, once again meaning the Cavs would have to part ways with some of their best talent. At 34 years old at the start of next season, trading for George is high risk, high reward. He is not a long-term option, but he would make the Cavaliers much more of a threat to reach the Finals in 2025.