Cleveland Cavaliers: Are There Young Assets Other Teams Want?

Do the Cleveland Cavaliers have any young assets other teams may covet? The answer to that may dictate whether the Cavs make a trade before the deadline.

As the NBA trade deadline approaches – 3:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, Feb. 23 – there are sure to be many teams looking to make moves. At the top of the list is likely the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Even before the recent injury to forward Kevin Love, which will sideline the all-star for six-to-eight weeks, rumors ran rampant the Cavs were pursuing various trades.

First, it was LeBron James making his “playmaker” comments. Then came the Carmelo Anthony rumors.

James was said to be pushing the front office to trade for Anthony at all costs, a report he later called “trash.” Add in Love’s recent injury, and the Cavs seem poised to make at least some type of move.

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In four starts this year, McRae has averaged 12.8 points and three rebounds per game. He also is shooting nearly 44% from the field. McRae’s contract is also extremely affordable, as his one-year-deal is on the books for just $874,636 this season.

A trade would do both McRae and the Cavs some good.

While he has played some point guard, McRae functions much better as an off guard. That position is stacked in Cleveland, with Shumpert, J.R. Smith, Kyle Korver and DeAndre Liggins all ahead of McRae for playing time.

As a younger player, McRae also is not ready to play big minutes as a scorer-only for a championship team. His fit on the Cavs is very questionable.

While there is no doubt McRae has some solid potential, at this point, a deal might work best for both him and the Cavs.

Guard Kay Felder

As a rookie, Kay Felder has not played bad basketball this year. The rookie has, for the most part, done what has been asked of him.

However, there are a few obvious limitations to his game. Felder is just 5-foot-9, which is clearly not ideal for an NBA point guard. Only nine players under six foot tall have ever made an All-Star team. While he has looked good in small spurts, the 21-year-old simply does not have the experience the Cavs are looking for in a point guard.

Felder also has no clear path to a starting role anytime soon, as Kyrie Irving looks like a potential Cav-lifer.

Like McRae, Felder has some solid potential to become a good NBA guard. However, he is just not able to step up in a big role for a championship contender.

Guard/Forward Cedi Osman

This is a name that Cavs fans should become very familiar with very quickly.

Cedi Osman was drafted with the 31st pick in the 2015 NBA Draft and was traded to the Cavs as part of the Tyus Jones trade. Though he has yet to come to the NBA, there are rumors Osman is prepared to join the Cavs next season.

In 17 games for the Anadolu Efs in Turkey this year, Osman has scored 14.8 points and 3.7 assists per game, while shooting 50% from the field and 41% from three point range.

Osman is only 21-years-old and is an impressive 6’8″, 215 pounds. He already has the build of an NBA player.

Next: Shumpert To The T'Wolves?

The Cavs likely would only move Osman in an ideal trade, as he offers the most upside and best future fit out of any of these options.

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