The Cavs have some pieces on their roster that could work for improving the team in a heartbeat and these are the deals that can get them done.
The Cavaliers are in a bizarre place at the moment. They’ve got some very tradable assets with some very intriguing talent, yet they’re at a crossroads. They’ve got too many older players to do a full top-down rebuild and they’re too young in their current state to be a legitimate playoff threat. A major trade seems to be the only thing they can do at this point. Which way do they go through? Do they unload the veterans like Kevin Love, Andre Drummond, and Larry Nance Jr., or do they make a play with a trade involving some of the younger talents like Kevin Porter Jr. or Collin Sexton?
Koby Altman has to make a move because this Cavaliers roster isn’t good enough to compete in the East. So what does the team do? Well, these are three dream scenarios the Cavs can try to force into happening.
Before we do, here are two caveats that will need to be accepted. Regardless of who leaves or comes back, these trades only work if the Cavs re-sign Matthew Dellavedova and Tristan Thompson. When you see who’s leaving, you’ll understand why.
So let’s look at three possibilities.
Now, some of you will say “Bradley Beal for only one first-round draft pick!?” and to that, I’d say, “Kawhi Leonard went for less.” In fact, let’s refresh your memories. What did the Spurs get back? DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a protected first-round pick. Oh, and the Spurs gave up Danny Green as well.
So getting a two-time All-Star, with an All NBA Third Team appearance ain’t shabby. Plus you’re getting a first-round pick back, and a 20-year-old point guard. Now granted, that’s all well and good, but the real get for Washington is Kevin Porter Jr. So if they’re able to get rid of John Wall, the Wizards could really start the rebuild fans have been expecting for a while now.
What do the Cavs get back? Well, Beal, obviously. The team would also get back Moritz Wagner, a 6’10 small forward who can also play power forward and center, as well as Jerome Robinson, a combo guard who’s yet to fully develop into a good pro.
So what does the rotation look like?
"Cavs lineup with Bradley Beal PG Matthew Dellavedova SG Bradley Beal SF Cedi Osman PF Kevin Love C Tristan Thompson 6th Collin Sexton (PG/SG) Bench Moritz Wagner (SF/PF/C) Bench Larry Nance Jr. (PF/C) Bench Dyland Windler (SG/SF) Bench Jordan Bell (PF/C)"
Obviously Sexton goes to the bench to allow Beal into the lineup. The rest speaks for itself.
Is this a good trade for the Cavs? Well, to a degree. If Beal couldn’t take Washington to the playoffs, can he do it with Cleveland? Maybe. He’d have Kevin Love and Collin Sexton around with him, but frankly, there’s still not a lot of talent on this team. While re-signing Love was the right call, at the price they did really hampered the team.
While Bradley Beal is the guy everyone is salivating over, Russell Westbrook has proven he can carry a team to the playoffs with next to no one supporting him. His two best scoring options in the 2016-2017 Thunder were Enes Kanter and Victor Oladipo. Oladipo has only had one truly great season in his entire career. In Cleveland, Westbrook would have Kevin Porter Jr., Kevin Love, and Collin Sexton. Not to mention Dylan Windler, who the team is very excited about.
Now you may be asking yourself, why would Houston make this trade? They’re not getting any draft picks back, and they’re only getting one prospect. Well, the trade is the trade due to the fact that Westbrook’s contract and not Westbrook is really the big issue. He’s making $40 million over the next three years, and there’s no real wiggle room for the Rockets to improve with James Harden while carrying that deal. The Cavs aren’t able to get big names at the moment and Westbrook would be a great fit with this team.
Moreover, the Rockets would also get back a prized center, something they haven’t had since trading Clint Capela. So this is a great move to free up their maneuverability.
Here’s a rough expectation of what a starting five would look like with Westbrook.
"Cavs lineup with Russell Westbrook PG Russell Westbrook SG Kevin Porter Jr. SF Cedi Osman PF Kevin Love C Tristan Thompson 6th Collin Sexton (PG/SG) Bench Matthew Dellavedova Bench Larry Nance Jr. (PF/C) Bench Dylan Windler (SG/SF) Bench Jordan Bell (PF/C)"
In this version of the lineup, Sexton again goes to the bench. This reason, however, is due to wanting more pure shooters on the court, while giving the second unit some punch. Porter Jr., Cedi Osman, and Love can all shoot. This allows Westbrook options to play off of. Sexton off the bench helps give the second unit some real scoring, and maybe too much pressure then falls on Windler’s shoulders to produce.
Is this trade good for the Cavs? Yes. Westbrook is the type of playmaker that can get teams to the next level and in the Eastern Conference, the Cavs become a team that could make it to the second or third round. Plus, if they hit on their rookie selection? That’s a big get.
This is the game-changer. James Harden would reinvent the Cavaliers and be able to lead this team deep into the playoffs. There’s no telling what the limit would be for the franchise with this move. While yes, the defense would still be lacking, a Harden-led offense would be more than enough to get out of the Eastern Conference. Harden had worse teams in Houston than what he’d have in Cleveland.
This trade makes total sense if Houston is looking to restart. They’re never winning a title with this crop of guys and they’re so depleted with regards to the future assets that a full rebuild would need a nice haul. Two first-round picks, a prized youngster, and the expiring contract of Andre Drummond? It’s unlikely you’re getting much better, not with how little prized stars are going for these days.
Think about the Paul George trade, the Clippers gave up two first-round picks, a prized young guard (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander), and a borderline All-Star big (Danilo Gallinari). Maybe you’d have to take the protection off of the draft picks, but the move works and at the time of the trade, George had a much higher value than Harden, as George is a two-way player. Harden isn’t.
So what would the rotation look like?
"Cavs Lineup with James Harden PG Matthew Dellavedova SG James Harden SF Cedi Osman PF Kevin Love C Tristan Thompson 6th Kevin Porter Jr. Bench Larry Nance Jr. (PF/C) Bench Dyland Windler (SG/SF) Bench Jordan Bell (PF/C)"
This feels familiar to the talent needed for success with Harden, pre-Chris Paul trade. You have your aggressive, defensive minded point in Matthew Dellavedova, two wings who can stretch the floor in Cedi Osman and Kevin Love, and a defensive minded big-man with Tristan Thompson. Putting Kevin Porter Jr. in charge of the second team will be interesting and the team would need to use their MLE and hit with thier draft pick, but if NBA trade value has shown us anything, it’s that a trade like this is possible.