These 5 Cleveland Cavaliers can be traded after December 15 deadline

The Cleveland Cavaliers are 8-3 in their last 11 games, rebounding from a shaky injury-riddled start, but they still don't look like a team expected to compete at the very top of the Eastern Conference. They have notched some impressive wins, but they also have struggled to beat a couple of tanking teams and lost at home to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Changes are likely coming for the Cavaliers; those could be minor adjustments like tweaking the rotation, or there could be more significant moves such as trades to beef up the roster. December 15 is a key date for the trade market, as players who signed new contracts this past summer will become eligible to be traded.

That means a number of potential trade targets for the Cavs will become available, but it also means players on the Cavaliers' roster can now be included in deals. Let's look at those five players who will be available to trade in a week and discuss which could find themselves included in a deal.

No. 5: Ty Jerome

The Cavaliers signed Ty Jerome this summer to be a key piece of their rotation at combo guard, but he suffered an ankle injury in the second game of the season and he has not played since. In his absence, undrafted rookie point guard Craig Porter Jr. has stepped up and very likely passed Jerome in the rotation.

The Cavs have felt the strain of a lack of backcourt depth, not because they didn't build out that part of their roster but because they lost so many bodies for a time this year. That could lead to Cleveland holding onto Jerome even if he is outside of the rotation. At the same time, if his inclusion in a deal can get it over the finish line, he is not a vital piece they are likely to cling to.

Hopefully, Jerome can get healthy and start to rebuild his value, both to the Cavs because of his strong play and to other teams as he proves himself both healthy and effective. Until he does, it's likely that his only role in a deal is as matching salary.