The Cavaliers are making and taking calls leading up to Thursday afternoon’s trade deadline, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link), who reports that the team continues to eye players with three-and-D skill sets. However, Cleveland has a limited number of trade assets, including no movable first-round picks, so the club may ultimately stand pat at the deadline and explore the buyout market afterward, Fedor writes.
Any trade of significance – beyond a minor tweak around the edges of the roster – would likely have to include former lottery pick Isaac Okoro, sources tell Cleveland.com. But the Cavs highly value Okoro both on and off the court, viewing him as their best on-ball defender and the player who figures to take on the most challenging perimeter assignments in the postseason.
If the Cavs did move Okoro, they’d presumably be targeting a player who could provide similar resistance on defense and more punch on offense. Fedor suggests the team has had internal discussions about Bulls guard Alex Caruso, an elite defender who has been a better three-point shooter than Okoro (on a higher volume) this season. However, Chicago’s asking price for Caruso is steep, so Cleveland would have to be willing to give up more than just Okoro.
Here’s more on the Cavs:
- The Cavaliers have had some “cursory” conversations with the Jazz about Simone Fontecchio, Fedor reports, noting that the two teams have worked together on multiple trades in recent years, including the Donovan Mitchell blockbuster. Fontecchio has already reportedly drawn interest from Boston and Phoenix.
- Cleveland has had interest in Hornets forward P.J. Washington in the past and briefly revisited that possibility this season, but the cost will likely be too high, Fedor writes. According to Fedor, Nets forwards Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale are also still on the Cavs’ radar, while Nets guard Lonnie Walker and Grizzlies wing John Konchar are among the other potential targets worth keeping an eye on.
- Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic could be a fit in Cleveland, but his $20MM salary makes him a long shot, since the Cavs don’t appear inclined to part with any of their key rotation players, says Fedor. It’s safe to assume that group includes Caris LeVert ($15.4MM) and Max Strus ($14.5MM).
- This was J.B. Bickerstaff‘s response when the Cavs’ head coach was recently asked about the trade deadline, per Fedor: “We’re happy where we are. Our front office has to do their due diligence and do their job and you never know what you can turn over, but we haven’t had a ton of conversations about particulars because we are happy with where we are. We’re pleased with the group of guys we have and the way we have been playing. I don’t want to lose anybody, and we are not desperate for anybody to come in.”
Trade Damian Jones with as many seconds as it takes to get an actual backup Center. For the love of all that is good in Cleveland.
We have that in Thompson and Isaiah Mobley. Problem is JB is afraid to play Isaiah and Thompson is on suspension.
I’m sorry Damian Jones been excellent.
4th worst +/- among all NBA players who have played over 100 minutes is the opposite of excellent.
The smartest ideas
Cavs are targeting Caruso and Washington
Cavs have zero first round pick to outgoing so other teams can’t demand
So the Cavs want to trade for a 3 and D perimeter player, but have to include their best perimeter/wing defender who is shooting 38% from 3? I know Okoro isn’t usually a consistent deep shooter, but this all seems counterintuitive.
Strus and Sam Merrill seem to be pretty good shooters to me. No “D”, but they can stroke it and help space the floor.
Both Merrill and Strus are pretty good at defense. Merrill is amazing at taking charges.
Watch how opponents go after and exploit them when they are on the floor during “Playoff Basketball”.
You mean like they exploited Merrill in 2021 with the Bucks? Or were you thinking of how they exploited Strus with the Heat in last year’s playoffs? I think both can hold their own on defense. Obviously Okoro is the best defensive player on the Cavaliers. That said JB even has Mitchell and LeVert playing defense.
I hope the Warriors trade for Finger Guns
At all costs keep Okoro. Unless some team gets stupid and offers someone like Jalen Williams or Jaren Jackson Jr foe him. After seeing what he does to guys like Damian Lillard we’d be nuts to deal him. He is better than Caruso on defense and Is young enough to have more offensive potential. He will cost a bit but he is a 3 and D wing. The Cavaliers needs right now are a back up center/forward who can play defense and maybe a backup point guard.
Didn’t I read on here yesterday that Cleveland was not expected to be active at the deadline.
That was yesterday. Things change. Keep up.
First paragraph here acknowledges they may not be active — doesn’t mean they’re not trying.
Would a brown, late OKC first in 2024 for Okoro, Niang and a pair of second round pics work? The Raptors already stated they don’t want four picks in this year‘s draft but maybe they can get a couple of future seconds? Okoro also fits Scotty Barnes timeline.
Almost certainly, Okoro will NOT be traded. Nobody trades their top perimeter defender in advance of the playoffs, unless that spot (meaning top perimeter defender) is being upgraded. CLE doesn’t have the trade assets to effect such an upgrade. On the flip side, Okoro is unlikely to have a lot of trade value. He’s a rising RFA who’s price point is in flux.
CLE could more easily look to upgrade the Strus and LeVert spots, but its hard to see a deadline match there as well. How attractive would those players be to the type of teams that are sellers at the deadline? CLE does have SRPs to fortify the team behind the core rotation, and its hard to see them going beyond that.
These individuals are unaware that Oroko is improving and will only get better than Strus and Niang. It would be wise to consider trading Strus, who has been underperforming until the recent game, and allocate the funds to support Okoro.
Not a bad idea though Strus seems to help in more ways than just scoring. He seems to outwork other players. Niang is cut from similar cloth.
Any trade of a rotation player (except for an upgrade) should be off the table until the summer. CLE is heading to the playoffs as at least a quasi-contender. It’s not the time to prioritize next year’s tax space relative to re-signing Okoro.
In any event, Strus was a financial commitment beyond this year, and, in truth, isn’t going to have much trade value now, or in the offseason unless he overperforms in the playoffs, like last year.