The Cavaliers bested the Bucks last night in a 15 point home victory. Sure, Milwaukee has the worst record in the NBA, but Cleveland will take any wins they can get. The Cavs sit 11 games below .500 and are set to face a tough Suns team on Sunday. Here’s the latest on the Cavs:
- Dion Waiters was the subject of several early season trade rumors after a report surfaced alleging that Waiters had a contentious relationship with Kyrie Irving. Months have passed, and Waiters remains a member of the Cavs. Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer hears that despite earlier reports, Waiters isn’t a locker room disturbance, and he probably won’t be shipped off unless Cleveland receives an “amazing” offer for him.
- In the same piece, Schmitt Boyer speculates that the Cavaliers are likely to be buyers at the upcoming trade deadline since they haven’t given up on their playoff hopes yet. The team is 4-4 in games that recent acquisition Luol Deng has played in, and they sit just two games out of a playoff spot in the weak Eastern Conference.
- Tyler Zeller has been a valuable piece off the bench for Cleveland, and his teammates have started to take notice. Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer passes along this quote from Irving: “[Zeller’s] been playing out of his mind… It’s not just about points or anything like that. He’s been doing everything we need him to do and everything we ask of him – and some.” Since Andrew Bynum was traded, Zeller is averaging five more minutes per night. The Cavaliers exercised their 2014/15 team option for Zeller in October.