A new trade proposal has Gordon Hayward landing with the Cavs.
The Cavs need another wing player, one who can shoot, score, and play-make for the team. Right now the Cavs aren’t in a great position, with Isaac Okoro and Cedi Osman having their fair share of issues, and no one else really able to step in behind them.
The Cavs do have players like Larry Nance who could fill in on the wing on occasion offensively but he’s far more of an efficient scorer in transition. He’s developed a moderately consistent three-point shot, but it isn’t enough to rely on him and him alone. So the Cavs still need exterior help. They passed on making moves in free agency for someone and then the draft came and went without the Cavs making any mores to help the position. Landing a guy like Corey Kispert would’ve been perfect for Cleveland, but they stood pat with just drafting Evan Mobley. It would’ve been a perfect draft if the Cavs got both, but here we are.
Now there are rumors the Cavs may get fleeced for Cam Reddish, who is everything the Cavs need to avoid. Yet, one outlet, NBA Analysis, has proposed a trade idea that would see the Cavs land Gordon Hayward in a trade.
The Cavs would land Hayward from the Hornets, and in turn send back Larry Nance, Isaac Okoro, Cedi Osman, and a 2022 second-round pick.
The Good
The trade does land the Cavs a reliable scorer on the outside. That’s first and foremost. While Gordon Hayward may likely never make another All-Star game due to that gruesome injury he suffered, he’s still among the better and most versatile players in the league. Arguably a player who can start at the two, the three, or the four spot in a lineup.
He put up 19.6 points per game in 2020-2021 with the Hornets, shooting 47% from the floor and 41% from three-point. His addition would make him the best shooter the Cavs would have had in years. He’s capable of scoring inside and out, though he’s usually shooting threes more than anywhere else on the court. He doesn’t utilize his mid-range shot very often, averaging just 25.8% of his shots from that distance, but he’s still very effective hitting 44.1% of his shots from the 10′-3P range.
That type of scoring versatility makes him extremely reliable. He’s also usually around the plus portion of play on both ends of the court as well. He’s had five + outings on defense in his last seven years and has not been a true negative on offense since his rookie year. He was a -6.6 in 2017-2018, but he only played five minutes that season and broke his lower leg. So that doesn’t really count.
Not just that, but he comes in with the added benefit of having an eclectic skill set. He’s a playmaker on the wing and when given more control over an offense, can average anywhere from four to five assists per game. Not only that, but he’s physical enough to chase after rebounds. He’s averaged 6.3 rebounds per game over his last two years.
The Cavs were interested in him before, in the summer they got LeBron James to return. Yet, Hayward oped to stay in Utah at the time.
The Bad
There is bad to this offer though, namely the players the Cavs would have to give up and specifics about Gordon Hayward. Firstly, let’s look at the players the team is losing, Larry Nance Jr., Isaac Okoro, and Cedi Osman.
Nance is a great defensive player and fits right in with what coach J.B. Bickerstaff wants to do. While he’s really dynamic and a great asset to have, he does come with scoring issues. Nance isn’t going to turn into Kevin Love, but he does provide a lot of versatility on the team. He won’t ever be a star but he can do a little bit of everything.
Osman is a great facilitator and can really score inside the arc. The problem is that Osman was forced to shoot three-pointers when his shot wasn’t falling. Shooting over half of his attempts from behind the three-point line, Osman struggled in ’20-’21. Like with Nance, however, Osman provides a lot of unique skills. When his shot is falling, he’s a true three-level scorer, with great court vision. He’s also a solid defender, though he could use a better crop of teammates around him to play defense with.
One of those is Okoro. He and Osman are about on the same level defensively, at least according to advanced stats (-0.8 for Okoro, -0.9 for Osman) but Osman has shown, historically at least, to be a better scorer. Okoro was insanely effective from 3′ and in during his rookie year, hitting 61% of his shots, most of those in transition. The problem with Okoro is that anything 10′ and out, he’s absolutely awful at. He shot just 21% on shots outside of 10′.
So each guy has glaring issues they need to work on. Are they fair value for Hayward? Yes, absolutely. The problem that arises is that you’re giving up three guys who will get 20+ minutes per game for one who will get 28+ minutes per game. Who’s going to replace the other two players? The Cavs aren’t exactly deep with talent. While each player has their own fair share of issues and hindrances, they all provide the team with something. Sure, Lamar Stevens might fill in for Nance, and Dylan Windler can probably replace Osman but who’s going to replace Okoro defensively?
Then there’s the problem with giving up all that while taking on Hayward’s contract and injury issues. If Hayward was healthy, you could justify his contract. There aren’t many people in the NBA with his complete game. The problem is, he’s missed 34% of games played over the last three years. Assuming the upcoming NBA season is 82 games, that means Hayward is expected to only play in 54 games this year.
That’s a lot of games to miss for a guy with the salary that he has.
Conclusion
The addition of Gordon Hayward is one the team should pursue. His game hasn’t been affected by the injury and its one that will likely age well. The problem with the move is giving up so many pieces. Any way you build the trade, Cedi Osman and Isaac Okoro would likely have to go. It would not be fun to watch Osman leave, but Hayward is still in his prime, and with three years left on his deal, would sync up nicely with Kevin Love, allowing the Cavs to essentially start over if they want when both of their contracts are up.
Now we have to quote Bobby Heenan and ask; “Who’s the third man?” Larry Nance works financially but he deserves to be part of a playoff chase in Cleveland. You can’t trade Jarrett Allen due to his new deal. You don’t want to give up Evan Mobley, and the team getting Ricky Rubio was huge, and he could really thrive in this system. The team does have nearly $6 million in trade exception money from the JaVale McGee and Kevin Porter Jr. trades, so now you just need a little bit more.
Mfiondu Kabengele will need to be added on but now here comes the big question.
Financially, the only people who work within the current trade parameters, who aren’t Nance, are Darius Garland and Collin Sexton. So that’s the Sophie’s Choice the Cavs are looking at for this trade. Do you trade Nance, Garland, or Sexton to make the deal work?
It comes down to one question, do you believe the Cavs will be better in ’21-’22 with Osman, Okoro, Nance/Sexton/Garland or do you think they’ll be better with Hayward and the two players not sent over between Nance, Sexton, and Garland?
I think if you ship over Osman, Garland, Okoro, Kabengele and use the trade exceptions, Hayward makes the Cavs a playoff team. With Rubio, Sexton, Hayward, Love (or Nance), and Allen as your starting five, I think the Cavs would have a great offense. Plus then you have Mobley, Windler, Nance, Dean Wade, and Lamar Stevens off the bench.
You’ll need another guard, so maybe the Cavs go get another guard in a trade or finally land Garrison Mathews, who would fill so many gaps on the team.
Either way, it’s a risk I’d take. As long as you don’t have to give up any first-round picks.