Ranking every Cleveland Cavaliers' player by trade likelihood

No. 12: Evan Mobley

If Darius Garland is a lock to remain with the Cavaliers, Evan Mobley is nearly there as well. The third-year big man is already one of the NBA's best defensive players, a permier shot-blocker whose versatility allows him to roam the paint, spearhead the zone or lock up on the perimeter. At just 22 years old, the roof is the ceiling for his defensive potential.

The issue for Mobley is that his offensive game hasn't developed in the ways that the coaching staff hoped. He has taken a step forward as a passer and finisher, and his rebounding is noticeably improved this season. On the other hand, he has all-but abandoned his jumper, moving nearly all of his shot attempts into the paint. That lack of spacing has made it extremely difficult for Mobley and Jarrett Allen to exist together on offense.

The Cavaliers will take the time to try every possibility to making the pairing of Mobley and Allen work, and barring that, will almost certainly look to move Allen before Mobley. The dominant play of Allen in Mobley's absense has just opened the tiniest sliver of possibility, which is why Mobley is at No. 12 instead of No. 13 on this list.

No. 11: Max Strus

One of the newest additions to the roster, Max Strus has joined the Cavaliers and done (nearly) everything they wanted him to do. He is putting strain on defenses with his permieter gravity, opening up the court for players like Jarrett Allen to dominate inside. He plays hard at both ends, has a constant motor, and has emerged as a veteran voice in the locker room.

The only thing that the Cavaliers could hope for from Strus is more accurate shooting. He is getting 3-point shots up at a solid rate, 8.3 per game, but only hitting 35.1 percent of them. If Strus could bump that number up to 39 or 40 percent the Cavs would really be cooking with fire. But given his new deal and two-way impact, it's incredibly unlikely he is included in any trade this season.