On Monday, the Cleveland Cavaliers participated in a three-team, six-player trade that brought them J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert, which seems like a positive step in the right direction. The Cavs are banged up, they’re desperate for help off the bench and they needed wing players. Most importantly, these moves will help bolster a team that has not lived up to the hype surrounding it this year.
Despite several transactions to build a roster around LeBron James in the offseason, the Cavaliers still rank just fifth in the Eastern Conference so far this season with a despicable 19-16 record. It’s clear they will need to shore up their team even more before they start having to flush those championship aspirations completely down the toilet. There are still a number of key players that Cleveland will be able to add before the NBA trade deadline and after addressing the backcourt, they need to find some help up front.
All indications are they will be very active if they have an opportunity to add a big man. There are a lot of rumors out there, and while it’s unclear what the Cavs have to give up, let’s just step into a hypothetical world and examine three potential trade targets that would be an excellent fit with the Cavaliers.
Kosta Koufos, Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies are in the midst of the Western Conference playoff race and while they have done a good job jockeying for position to this point, the link between useful backup Kosta Koufos and the Cavaliers persists. Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph have given Memphis one of the best big men tandems in the entire NBA and maybe the Grizzlies feel they are better off selling high on Koufos.
His trade value is about as good as it’s ever been. The Cavaliers are looking to add a big man and he could really help their interior defense. The Cavaliers have been in the market for a big man that can help down low on defense ever since Anderson Varejao was lost for the season. Koufos is a quiet player that can step in and soak up minutes. He provides steady service and doesn’t need the spotlight. His presence could take some pressure off of Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson. Koufos would do more of the dirty work and Love would focus on offense, as his defense is notoriously shoddy. It could work well, but the Grizzlies would have to be convinced they’re getting a good asset back if they’re parting ways with one of their reliable bench men.
Brook Lopez, Brooklyn Nets
Should a deal with the Grizzlies fall through, the next best option for the Cavaliers could be to make a trade with a Brooklyn team that has found itself desperate to unload some salary weight. The Nets currently rank seventh in the Eastern Conference and, considering their position up against the luxury tax, they could really afford to make a move.
Brooklyn might be desperate enough to move Lopez for a reduced price – especially when you consider that they’ve put Lopez on the bench. He’s not even starting anymore. For the Cavs, the ability to plug in a veteran center next to Kevin Love at the forward position would be an attractive enough concept. Lopez has been lackluster in Brooklyn but a change of scenery could revive him. In the past, he has played near an All-Star level, so maybe a move to Cleveland would give him a pulse.
Jeff Green, Boston Celtics
Another area that Cleveland could look to add is on the wing or at the two-guard where Green would be a fit either way. Adding Green would help provide another veteran scorer that could also pitch in defensively as well. Green is versatile enough to play at small forward or power forward, so he’d be a very solid addition to the bench. Although this was one of the hotter rumors for the Cavs, one has to wonder if they’re still interested after acquiring Shumpert and Smith.
The challenge might be finding the right pieces to send the other way to Boston. The Nets won’t want much for Lopez since it’s a salary dump but for the Celtics will want young assets, which the Cavs are short on.
