3 Western Conference players the Cleveland Cavaliers should trade for
By Chad Porto
![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](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/d7e7b0093689f2fbeb58da99cb1dcd6b4c3e4a1cda919facf8674147f1d8fb7f.jpg)
Josh Richardson
Josh Richardson is not a guy I would recommend going to get to fill a need. He’s more like someone you go get to fill a hole. What’s the difference? The Cleveland Cavaliers currently have a need. It’s a singular issue that needs to be addressed. A hole is when a major contributor gets hurt and his absence leaves a void on the team.
Right now, you’re looking for a luxury item to fill a need, a guy you can win without but who makes things easier. That’s not Richardson. He’s a very ineffective player. You’re only looking at Richardson should someone like Caris LeVert, Cedi Osman, or someone of that ilk goes down with a major injury.
his shooting splits aren’t bad, .413/.368/.853 but altogether he’s only got a 54.9% true shooting percentage. He’s also pretty much a one-trick pony offensively. If he doesn’t have the ball i his hands, he’s not going to be making many plays for you.
That’s why he’s got an offensive box plus-minus of -1.6 and an offensive RAPTOR score of -0.6. Defensively, it’s much worse. He’s pulling in a DBPM of -2.2 and a defensive RAPTOR score of -3.1. So it shouldn’t surprise anyone he’s got a BPM of -3.8.
This is a common trend for Richardson, it’s why he ended up there after stints on playoff teams in Miami, Dallas, Boston, and Philadelphia. He’s not the guy you want but he’s the guy you’ll settle for if you have to make a move.
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