Ever since Nick Gilbert won the draft lottery, it’s appeared that two of the Cavaliers primary trade chips heading into June 23rd’s NBA Draft include Ramon Sessions and the Trade Exception.
The inevitable drafting of Kyrie Irving will soon make Ramon Sessions the third PG behind the number one overall pick along with Baron Davis, and Sessions has too much value to be buried as such on a rebuilding team.
Somebody will want Sessions, and I do expect the Cavaliers to exhaust all opportunities to trade him. As would they explore all opportunities to move guys like Antawn Jamison, I’m just not sure anybody wants Tawn at this point. But as far as Sessions being a back-up PG for a playoff team, or maybe a starter somewhere else, there is certainly interest.
According to Jason Lloyd of the ABJ this morning, Ramon hasn’t demanded a trade up to this point; not yet anyway:
“Sessions’ agent, Chubby Wells, hasn’t asked the Cavaliers for a trade yet. That might change after the draft.
”Obviously something has to give,” Wells said. ”I don’t see how they can keep all three of those guys.”
He averaged 13 points and 5 assists this season, and despite the fact that all Cavaliers players posted inflated numbers this year, those are still numbers that will catch people’s attention.
In a possible trade package, I don’t know exactly what he’d bring back to Cleveland in return, but at least a 2nd round pick I’d suppose. Additionally, he could also end up playing some sort of role in a three-team type deal that sends more value back than that. Who knows really, but it does appear fair to say that it is Ramon’s days in Cleveland are coming to a close.
On the TPE: ESPN 850′s Will Burge said on twitter yesterday that the Cavaliers have not yet petitioned the league to extend the Trade Exception deadline in light of the impending lockout, offering the following:
“The #Cavs tell me, contrary to reports, they did not request for an extension on the July 11thTPE deadline. Take it for what it’s worth.”
Which could mean they feel comfortable that they’ll be able to use the TPE on Draft night before the impeding lockout forces it to prematurely expire, or simply that they will petition the league at a later date.
Burge went on to say that it’s his opinion the Cavaliers actually have petitioned the league, or will at some point, when he added the following:
“For the record, I think the Cavs either really did, or are going to petition for the extension. Wouldn’t make sense not to.”
I totally agree with him too. But more than I expect they’d petition to extend if necessary, I really think they’ll end up using it on Draft Night; before it expires
We’re starting to here rumblings and rumors in recent days of quality level names possibly emerging onto their team’s respective trade blocks. Guys like Monta Ellis, Michael Beasley, and Steph Curry have been mentioned recently, along with Nene, Deng, and Gay. I’m not saying any of those guys specifically fit for the Cavs, or specifically don’t, that’s a topic for another day. What I am saying though, is that names like that will continue to emerge as draft day approaches.
A team looking to dump salary in fear of the impending new bargaining agreement could look to the TPE as a solution for their balance sheet woes, and deal a player of a caliber similar to those I mentioned in exchange for it. If that happens, hopefully that player ends up being a young SF capable of 20+ per night they’d be looking to send our way in exchange for the TPE. That would fill a relatively gaping need for this team, a need the draft has no potential to address.
