Cavs Trade Talk: Wizards Looking To Deal Trey Burke

In Cleveland Cavs trade talk, could Trey Burke be the answers to the team’s backup point guard need?

In Cavs trade talk, the team is still looking for a backup point guard. The team just worked out Larry Sanders, but no contract news has come out.

The Cavs should look at Wizards guard and former first-round NBA lottery pick Trey Burke.

Washington is looking to acquire a second-round draft pick for Burke, according to BasketballInsiders.com writer Michael Scotto.

Deciphering which draft picks the Cavs actually own through the 2020 NBA Draft can be more confusing than quantum physics, but the franchise does own a second-round pick. GM David Griffin picked it up in the deal that sent Joe Harris to the Magic. It’s top 55 protected, meaning that if the Blazers (the original owners of the pick), pick in the top 55 of the 2020 NBA draft, the pick will not transfer to the Cavaliers. 

I’ve lost you, I know.

The Cavs could always try to acquire a second-round pick and send that to Washington. Perhaps a team would have interst in a Jordan Macrae, Deandre Liggins or Kay Felder type player.

Long story short, acquiring a second-round pick isn’t that hard to do. If its a move Griffin wants to make, he should be able to do it.

Burke’s career has been disappointing to this point, but he’s only 24. He was one of the nation’s best players while suiting up for the Michigan Wolverines, and that led to the T-Wolves taking him ninth overall in the 2011 NBA Draft.

Minnesota dealt him to Utah, and that’s where Burke played his first season, earning First-Team All-Rookie recognition. He spent three years with the Jazz, averaging double-digit scoring figures in each of his first-three seasons with the Jazz (12.6 ppg).

Burke was traded to the Wizards for a 2021 second-round pick last summer, and since arriving in Washington his minutes have been cut drastically. In his first two seasons with the Jazz, Burke averaged over 30 minutes per contest. Last season, those numbers were cut to just over 20. This year, with Washington, he’s averaging 12.6 minutes per game sitting behind John Wall.

So, why should the Cavs make a play for him?

The Columbus, Ohio product can provide offense off the bench. As his first three seasons showed, he can score.

And while he’s a lifetime .344 3-point shooter, Burke’s shooting .417 this season.  Granted, he’s taking almost three fewer attempts per game.

Additionally, he may be the playmaker the Cavs covet. When he made the All-Rookie team, he averaged 5.7 assists per game. His assist numbers dropped off every season since then, but maybe he just needs to find the right fit.

Playing with LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and sharp shooters such as J.R. Smith and Kyle Korver can do wonders for assist numbers.

Next: Cavs Have Options That Can Be Included In Trade

If Burke’s available, and healthy (battling a forearm issue), he’s someone the Cavs need to consider.