Cavaliers rumors: 3 trade targets they can land, and 3 that are purely pipe dreams

Cavaliers are dreaming of Lauri Markkanen

Dreaming about Mikal Bridges or Trey Murphy III is a fanciful journey through the imagined, a fuzzy picture of an idyllic future unlikely to be realized. In the case of another forward whose name has been whispered at in trade discussions, the Cavaliers and their fans would not need their imaginations; instead, they would simply need their memories.

Lauri Markkanen is the one who got away, the player who left the Cavaliers and turned into an All-Star. In fact, given his strong play this season and the way the Utah Jazz are surging up the standings, it's very possible Markkanen will be named to an All-NBA team this season. It's both painful and fascinating to consider whether he could have reached that level had he remained on the Cavaliers; the answer is almost certainly no, but there is no question they sold low on a player primed for a breakout.

For all of their public posturing, it's very reasonable to think about trade packages for Markkanen. What's not reasonable, however, is for the Cavaliers to dream of him coming back. That hasn't stopped his name from coming up, but any trade package for the offensive maestro would need to include a bounty of picks such as the Cavs already sent to the Jazz for Donovan Mitchell.

Would Markkanen be an exceptional fit on the Cavaliers? Absolutely. Would a Cavs team with Markkanen, Collin Sexton and Ochai Agbaji be similarly good as they are this season? It's very possible. But the reality remains that the cost to trade for Markkanen is through the roof, and sending Caris LeVert and a bucket of second-round picks isn't getting it done.

That puts Lauri Markkanen at the top of those players that Cavaliers fans would like to trade for, but who are purely pipe dreams.