Ranking every Cleveland Cavaliers' player by trade likelihood

No. 8: Donovan Mitchell

There has been a lot of ink spilled and breath expelled discussing the possibility of Donovan Mitchell being traded this season. Putting much stock in the Cavaliers saying they are not planning to trade Mitchell is a fool's errand; teams control the narrative on purpose, and even if they are quietly fielding trade offers, they don't want to alienate their star whom they may still hope to sign to an extension this summer.

This front office gave up a lot of assets to bring in Mitchell, and moving him for a smaller package this soon after the deal is likely a bridge too far. Unless they are absolutely bowled over by an offer, or Mitchell tells them directly that he won't sign an extension, Spida should be sticking around.

No. 7: Georges Niang

The Cavaliers signed three players this summer to boost their shooting. Max Strus has done so with his gravity and off-ball movement; even if his shots aren't falling at an elite level, he brings enough of a threat for opponents to stick to him, and that is opening up space for his teammates.

For Georges Niang, it's somewhat of a different story. After five-straight seasons of shooting at least 40 percent from 3-point range, Niang is now hitting just 33.3 percent from deep. To his credit, Niang is crashing the boards and playing with energy trying to help his team, but more so than Strus he needs to be hitting shots to make the impact necessary.

If the Cavaliers need salary to insert into a trade, it seems like Niang would be a candidate for inclusion. Given his poor shooting, however, his three-year deal may not be viewed as a clear positive, and the Cavs may prefer to keep him around until his shooting regresses positively toward his career norms.