Cavs trade rumors: Team looking to trade Larry Nance Jr and Cedi Osman

A new Cavs trade rumor involves Larry Nance Jr and Cedi Osman.

The Cavaliers have been attached to a near-endless amount of trade speculation this offseason. From the potential news of trading Collin Sexton to the possibility of giving both Sexton and Jarrett Allen huge new deals, to even letting Allen be claimed off waivers, it seems like every week there’s a new rumor. This takes us to today’s, where the Cavs are rumored to be shopping Larry Nance Jr. and Cedi Osman.

The Athletic’s Zach Harper (via Fear the Sword) is the one pumping up the rumor that the team could move on from Nance and Osman.

"The Cavs aren’t just hoping to move Kevin Love’s deal this summer, as pie-in-the-sky as that might be. Cavs could be willing to take on money now for this coming season if it means clearing deals like Larry Nance Jr. or even Cedi Osman for next season’s books. That might mean attaching Taurean Prince as cap relief with him only having one year left on his deal. The Cavs want to clean up some of this cap mess for the near future since Jarrett Allen is going to cost them."

Nance, who’s the son of franchise legend Larry Nance Sr., has been one of the best all-around players for the organization, and was a player who came up in trade discussions during the deadline, but the rumor then was about how he wasn’t an option. For Osman, he came into the 2020-2021 season with a lot of hype but shooting struggles really hampered his perception. He did come on strong near the end of the season, however, as a point-forward type. A role that saw his production tick upwards.

Trading Larry Nance and Cedi Osman for worse deals make no sense

The Cavs are looking to clear cap space due to Allen’s and potentially Sexton’s new deal. This is a terrible way to go about doing that. Firstly, the Cavaliers aren’t exactly a hotbed for free agent destinations, so as some commentators have pointed out in the past, who would they be clearing cap space for?

Secondly, both contracts are great for the Cavs, as they decrease in value per year. Nance Jr. is signed for another two years and Osman for another three. Together they only clear $18 million. So what’s the point in attempting to use them as trade bait when their contracts are both net-positive assets.

Thirdly, if Osman can get his shooting back, with how well he can play defense and his ability to play point-forward with some effectiveness, he’s not someone you want to get rid of. It’s fair to say 2020-2021 was a fluke season. With how little effort most of this team put in on the defensive end, and the fact the team only has one play-making ball-handler who incorporates his teammates in Darius Garland, getting rid of Osman is a silly thought.

Finally, taking on even worse contracts? What? The whole point is to get rid of guys like Kevin Love, not find him his Bride of Frankenstein contract to pair up with. If Koby Altman does go out and get another massive contract that will hobble the team, it might be time to move on from him.

After all, Love only has two years left on his deal, and one way or another, he’ll be an attractive trade piece in 2022-2023. He’ll have just one year left on his deal and teams will finally want to trade for him to get out of other contracts they have on their roster. With the Cavs proving each year under Altman that under-performing is a way of life, no one expects the Cavaliers to compete in 2021-2022, so why bother gutting your bench all for a terrible contract?