NBA Insider Identifies Cavaliers' Three Main Trade Pieces
As the NBA trade deadline approaches, there will be much discussion about the Cleveland Cavaliers' plans. Will they go all in, or will Koby Altman be content with his group?
NBA insider Brian Windhorst of ESPN identified the Cavaliers' three main trade pieces going into the deadline: their 2031 first-round pick, Jaylon Tyson, and Caris LeVert.
Here's what he had to say about each of those trade candidates:
"So, they have their 2031 first-round pick. Which, guys, it's so preposterous to talk about trading that away. It wouldn't even be something I talk about, but they have it."
"The second thing is they have Jaylon Tyson. Now, this rookie class has not been performing that well, but he has looked pretty good when he's played. And I think you could look at him and view him as worth a first-round pick in a trade," continued Windhorst.
"Then the big decision, the big piece that you have, is LeVert. He's been one of the most valuable bench players in the league so far. He is a bonafide contender for sixth-man [of the year]. But, he is a free agent to be. He's an expiring contract. That's a player with real value."
There's risk involved with moving any of these possible trade pieces.
Dealing a first-round pick five years into the future is always risky, given the unknown of what the team will look like that far down the road.
Jaylon Tyson could be a valuable piece for Cleveland down the line.
Caris LeVert, as Windhorst mentions, is one of the best bench players in the NBA. How do you upgrade from that?
Not to mention, the Cavaliers clearly have fantastic chemistry with each other on the floor and in the locker room. Would any of these trades disrupt that?
Cleveland's front office has a lot of tough decisions to make in the coming weeks. It will be interesting to see if any of these pieces are at the center of any rumors leading up to the deadline.