3 Western Conference players the Cleveland Cavaliers should trade for

Nov 26, 2022; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) faces off against San Antonio Spurs center Jakob Poeltl (25) in the first half at the AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 26, 2022; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) faces off against San Antonio Spurs center Jakob Poeltl (25) in the first half at the AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 3, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) drives against Houston Rockets guard Garrison Mathews (25) during the second half at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 3, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) drives against Houston Rockets guard Garrison Mathews (25) during the second half at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports /

Garrison Mathews

Garrison Mathews is someone who really is a complete player. He’s not an exceptional shooter or scorer like Doug McDermott but what he lacks in shooting ability, he makes up for in offensive versatility. He’s a good rebounder for a guard and can pass when called upon. He’s not an offensive liability like Isaac Okoro and would be an exceptional fit off the bench playing with Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love.

He’d even be a good spot starter at small forward depending on how the team shakes out. Where he shines, however, is on defense. His Defensive Box Plus-Minus isn’t great. It’s just a +0.5 on the year, but a lot of that has to do with how bad the Houston Rockets are. Taking a look at his RAPTOR score, Mathews has a shocking +5.5 on defense, which is well-earned.

He’s a positive force on offense too, with a +1.2 on offense. He won’t carry a team, but his shooting splits of .384/.370/.935 shows you can be effective if need be, plus he’s got a True Shooting percentage of 62.7%, which is higher than Caris LeVert and Cedi Osman.

Don’t give up much to get Mathews, but if you can swing a trade where you only give up someone like Dylan Windler, then you’re made in the shade.