Cleveland Cavs: Grading the tradable assets at mid-season

Larry Nance Jr.

Trade Value: C-
Trade Return:  A 2nd pick, an aging vet on a bad deal

– Larry Nance is a name that may have more value for Cleveland than he does anywhere else. At nearly 28, Nance has yet to develop much of an offensive game to speak of. His mid-to-long range scoring is almost non-existent on most nights, and if it wasn’t for his athleticism in transition and his ability to block shots, Nance would be out of the league by now. The reason why Cavs fans love him so much is because of his father, Larry Nance Sr., who was one of the most beloved players of all time for the franchise.

Nance is a hustle player, with good hands, a smooth stride and a great contract. Topping out at only $12 million, someone like Nance could be the final piece for a contender. He wouldn’t be hard to match salaries for, and on a team like Toronto or Utah would be a great addition for their type of style. The problem with keeping Nance in Cleveland is that the team is desperate for anything they can get to improve their future, while also shedding anything they can so they tank their record.

Nance also eats up time that could be better served going to Dean Wade and Tyler Cook. This Nance that we have is as good as he’ll ever get. Is that good enough to hang on to? Is that good enough to get something worthwhile back? Who knows. Certainly, no one wants to trade the son-of-a-legend, but if the Cavs are committed to doing the Philadelphia version of rebuilding, as opposed to the Oklahoma version, then Nance would have to go. He’d be 32 or 33 by the time the team was competitive again (ideally).

So he has no long term value for the rebuilding squad. Just sentimental.

The reason for Nance’s low grade should be obvious. He’s on a good deal, but it’s a long deal. Long deals can turn sour if the player starts to fall off. There is no such thing as a good long term deal for a bad player. Nance would need to produce and do so right off the bat. Which isn’t a guarantee.

Nance happens to be better than Knight or Henson, but he’s also more expensive than Henson and has a longer deal than Knight. If he goes to a team, and the fit doesn’t work, he’s going to be harder as opposed to the other two – who are on expiring deals. If Nance can’t land in the right spot, then it doesn’t matter how good the deal is, or how athletic he is, or how solid he is on defense. He’d become immoveable without truly developing a better offensive game.

Likeliest landing spots: Utah, Toronto, San Antonio