NBA Trade Rumors: Who is the Most Likely Cleveland Cavalier to Be Traded?
Written By: Jacob Rosen | Category: Cleveland Cavaliers | Comments: 29
AP Photo/Matt York
Brendan analyzed some of the possible individuals that could be new in a Cavalier uniform a week ago, but now it is time to jump to the other side of the table. Many trade rumors are out there and in order to bring in some sort of difference maker or All-Star, it will probably require some fat contracts as well as some talented prospects. The pickings are slim when it comes to our roster overall and after the jump, here are the main four candidates for a potential trade by the Cavaliers:
Shaquille O’Neal – The big man proved his worth last night yet again, finishing with 11 points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes of play. Neutralizing the strength and size of the Lakers big men is quite the task and by creating plenty of space for him to operate on offense, the Cavaliers made O’Neal look like a reborn star. Does that mean he is no longer expendable? The Cavs would have to get a legitimate All-Star, as well as a physical presence in the paint in order to replace the LSU product, but to say he is off limits would be short-sighted to the overall goal of the franchise. The team is looking to win now in order to keep LeBron in town, and if they decide O’Neal cannot help that cause, then he should be shipped for someone that will.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas – The more controversial option when discussing Cavs big men with fat contracts, Z is the All-Cavalier guy who just seems to do everything right in the end. Trade rumors were in full force on Wednesday when Cleveland struggled on the road in Sacramento, only to see the big man from Lithuania knock down three straight threes to cap off a shutout overtime victory. Averaging a career-low 7.7 points per game while playing off the bench for the first time, there is no doubt that age is finally catching up to the big man. He managed only two points against Los Angeles, although his nine rebounds did lead the team in his 30 minutes of play. At 34 with only one year left on his contract, it is hard to see him playing one more year in the NBA but would it send the right sign to trade him away so soon?
Delonte West – If you thought that there was a possible conflict while considering to trade Z, just get a load of the idea of trading West. His off-season incidents are still going to affect him and the team sometime in the near future, but his presence has helped the Cavaliers win games on various instances thus far this season. Additionally, it seems like the St. Joseph’s product is starting to have many more good days than bad days, as evidence by his participation in 15 of the past 16 team games. During the month of December, the 26-year-old is averaging 8.5 points and 3.2 assists in 23.8 minutes off the bench, and has reached double-figures in scoring five separate times. He makes about $9 million combined between this year and next season, but it would once again be a difficult chemistry loss to lose his presence at such a critical time.
J.J. Hickson – Saving the best for last, it is now pretty clear to me that Hickson is actually the most likely Cavalier to be traded this season. Somehow, someway, he is going to need to be paired with a bigger contract in order to get better returns on a possible trade, but there is no doubt that if such a trade is made, Hickson will be going somewhere else in the NBA. An odd starter for the Cavs, his emergence seemed to key a resurgence for the team although he has definitely cooled down recently. He averaged 18.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game during a five-game stretch in mid-November, but in his past 17 games, has averaged only 6.4 points and 4.0 rebounds in 18.6 minutes per contest. He has good potential and is one of the very few youngsters on the roster right now, but would be a crucial long-term asset in any possible trade package this season.
Conclusion – Yesterday’s performance proved once again that Shaq still has enough in the tank to combat the elite forces in the NBA. If I was Danny Ferry as the team General Manager, I would definitely be a bit more hesitant to trade the Big Diesel after the second straight monster road victory over an Elite Four team (LA, Boston, Orlando). The team is only 23-8 but have played a league-leading 18 road games and by the way, they have three new starters as well. The loss of Zydrunas or Delonte would be a major issue for team chemistry but it is still possible that Z could eventually return to the team in a buyout a la Antonio McDyess and the Pistons. Hickson is the one sure thing in any trade scenario, although who else could be leaving Cleveland remains very much up in the air.
Author: JacobRosen
Jacob Rosen is a weekend author for WFNY, the sports editor for the University of Dayton's Flyer News and the current media relations director of the Akron Aeros. Jacob is an Akron native who majors in applied mathematical economics at UD. You can follow him on Twitter @udjrosen or e-mail him at udjrosen(at)gmail(dot)com.Jacob Rosen has written 252 articles for Waiting for Next Year.
I used to be 100% in favor of trading Z, but after yesterdays game, we need his size to matchup against LA, he was a huge reason we were able to win, even though he had a rough shooting night. If we trade him we HAVE to get him back in a buyout
Agreed, Ricky. Z would need to come back regardless of his contribution, which has been there at times. There would be a fan-led mutiny if Z were traded and didn’t return after 30 days. I just hope the big fella wouldn’t see it as a slight, especially with the MB benching snafu earlier this year.
You forgot Wally. The sign and trade is not the most conventional way to trade these days, but in this case I expect Ferry to work it.
I refuse to let Ferry trade JJ. I think the core of our team for years to come is Mo, JJ, and Lebron.
I’m all in favor for trading JJ. Especially if we get a big in return. He just seems to be doing more things wrong than right. I mean i didn’t see it, but just reading Windy’s tweet about Mike Brown talking to JJ like he was a JV kid, just made me want to trade JJ more.
Good article Boot! There certainly seems to be alot of questions to ask before trading any of the people you listed.
Danny Ferry has a tough decision in front of him. Almost the converse of last year, it appears that this Cavs teams plays its best ball against the league’s other elite teams (wins over Orlando, Miami, Dallas, Phoenix – twice, LA and I know I’m forgetting a good one or two).
It makes me wonder if we need to make a trade. If we do anything, I’d like to package Z and Hickson to Golden State for Anthony Randolph and Corey Maggette (crappy contract). I would insist that the Warriors subsequently buy out Z so that he could return to win the championship with the Cavs. It would hurt to get rid of Hickson, but Randolph arguably has a higher ceiling and Maggette might actually be a potent scorer as a member of the Cavs second-unit (even if his contract is bad news).
I would caution the Cavs against trading for Antwan Jamison for several reasons: 1) already 33 years old, 2) not a good defender, 3) contract will pay him handsomely well into his decline in performance.
I keep hearing people say that the Cavs need a “stretch 4.” That isn’t true. The Cavs need someone who CAN DEFEND a stretch 4. While Randolph might not offer the scoring punch of Jamison, he will be able to guard a guy like Rashard Lewis or Rasheed Wallace or Stretch 4 Player X. He also has the potential to be a top 25-30 player in the NBA if he is put in the right situation. All things considered, I think he would be the best person to give up Hickson for….
What do you guys think?
Dear Santa-
Thank you so much for Kobe’s tears.
You really came through.
I’ve gotta say though, I’m still waiting for gift #2…
Anthony Randolph
JJ is expendable to me if we get a quality big in return. I expect us to deal a package of JJ, Wally and Z for a power forward. The team willing to do that deal (which is almost a straight salary dump) would definitely be willing to buy out Z.
If we trade JJ, we would need to be getting a player on the right side of 30, otherwise we are mortgaging our future and making this team unappealing to LeBron and his dream of winning mutiple championships. JJ is no sure thing but he is only 20, how many good 20 year old big men are there? Not a lot, most bigs that came from high school or just 1 year of college are very raw and haven’t been taught a lot of the nuances of being a big. So if we trade JJ, we need to be getting someone in return who can be a core piece of this teams future
MattyFos: It’s also abundantly clear Andy’s going to be part of the Cavs for a long time as well. No question James / Williams is looking more and more like a pairing that makes Mallone / Stockton take notice.
The Cavs need Shaq and Big Z to match-up with the Lakers. On the flip side the Cavs need one more option next to James and a forward that can match up with players like Lewis, Odom, and Wallace. To get to the Lakers the Cavs need to get past the Celtics and they might not have enough to beat them yet. Shaquille O’Neal was brought in to match up with Bynum, Gasol, and Howard. The Celtics still need another scorer opposite James.
Shaq is the most expendable player the Cavs have. They could get Curry and Harrington for O’Neal. The Knicks would do the trade if they can ride themselves of a bad contract while the Cavs replace Shaq with Curry and get the forward they need. I wish the Cavs could keep O’Neal, but the truth is he has an expiring contract large enough to help the Cavs get a few difference makers.
JJ is certainly the most logical. I don’t think he’s really special at all, and could careless about seeing him go. However, I don’t think they’d want to put AV in the starting lineup. For that reason, I think we’ll try to go PF and perhaps target David West – not really my favorite pick but better than JJ.
And I agree with the previous posters, Z either a.) won’t be dealt or b.) will have to return if he is to be included. That length against the Lakers is devastating.
I like the idea of going after Maggette and Randolph. I think Maggette is the extra punch the Cavs need. They need one more scorer to take pressure of James.
The Cavs could trade O’Neal and Hickson for a package of Okafor, Posey, and West.
JJ Hickson’s contract isn’t big enough to bring back the players the Cavs are interested in. He’d be a throw in to make a deal more appealing for the other team. I can’t imagine the Warriors would deal Randolph for Hickson straight up.
Shaq: All along, the Cavs’ brass said that Shaq was acquired to toughen up our front line and defend against Orlando, LA, Boston, etc. He has done that so far, and will be a valuable commodity come June. Mike Brown, for what its worth, said he doesn’t want to trade Shaq or Z because he feels our post play is a strength that he doesn’t want to deal away. Post defense is important, and while trading away Shaq may be better for the future, nothing is more important than winning this year.
Z: Again, for what its worth, the Cavs have said we will not trade Z unless the other team agrees to a buyout that would allow him to come back. He is playing much less minutes at a much lower usage then at any point over at least the last 5 seasons, so his numbers are expected to be down: though he started slow, his % (both shooting and rebounding) are back up by his career avgs, and LeBron absolutely loves playing the pick-and-pop game with him at the elbows. From a non-basketball standpoint, the chemistry issues and fan backlash from a trade of Z without a buyout would be catastrophic: no trading Z.
Delonte: His upcoming trial has been swept under the rug with his recent improved play, but Delonte still has a rocky road ahead. On the court, he is our best backup point, he is the only player other than LBJ or Mo who can get his own shot, and he is a tenacious defender (witness him fleecing Farmar, Fisher, etc yesterday on entry passes). Off the court, Redz is beloved in the locker room, and we, I think, value him much more than any other team, who would likely only bring him on as an expiring contract. Keep Delonte.
JJ: Very interesting: I predicted that he wouldn’t be so great with increased minutes with his lack of defensive discipline and high turnover rates, and while JJ made me eat my words initially, he has since come back to Earth. I see his ceiling as an Amare Stoudamire type: very athletic, has some post moves, but must develop footwork and a go-to move on offense to be a consistent scorer. Also like Amare, he has all the defensive ability, but not the desire (yet). That being said, to echo what others have written, I would only trade JJ for certain types of players. Troy Murphy has solid numbers but is a poor defender and benefits extremely from the Pacers’ lightning-fast pace (#2 in the league). He has been in run and gun offenses his whole career (Warriors and Pacers) and has never been on a good team. For a Cavs comparison: he is like a younger, slightly quicker, slightly more athletic Z with a little more range. I would not trade JJ to get him. Antawn is excellent, but his contract is very problematic, and I would be hesitant to absorb it. However, if we could get him for, say, JJ and a signed-and-traded Wally, I would swallow the two year, $23 million pill. Anthony Randolph, to me, is the guy we should go after. He is young, athletic, and in the mold of a Lamar Odom/KG: ball-handling ability, length, can get his own shot, can become an elite defender. I would move JJ and Wally in a second for Randolph. We can’t get him without absorbing Corey Maggette as well, but his expensive contract isn’t a total loss: Maggette is a solid scorer who could come off the bench as a pure scorer in 25 minutes a night for us. So, to recap, I would trade JJ and Wally’s Expiring Contract for Anthony Randolph and Maggette and maybe Jamison (I don’t know if these deals can be done on the ESPN Trade Machine bc Wally isn’t technically on our roster…)
@Rick – Thanks as always for the Wally tip. It will be interesting to see how his potential contract plays into all of this because he has absolutely no value as a future NBA player. A team would have to be very desperate to get rid of a player or contract in order to take the money back in the trade.
@Matt – Normally, I would agree with you on this. The one fault with your analysis on our potential trades are the rotation specifics. Here are the current averages for the current players in the 10-man rotation for Cleveland as well as how the minutes broke down against Los Angeles:
Averages: LeBron 38 minutes, Mo 36, Andy 30, Parker 29, Shaq 23, Zydrunas 22, Delonte 21, Boobie 18, Hickson 18, Moon 18 = 253 TOTAL MINUTES
LA Game: LeBron 41 minutes, Mo 39, Andy 33, Zydrunas 29, Parker 25, Moon 24, Shaq 22, Delonte 17, Hickson 10, Boobie 0 = 240 TOTAL MINUTES
Assuming your supposed trade of JJ/Wally for Randolph/Maggette, or any scenario where the Cavs bring in two regular rotation players for just one, it will be difficult to find spare minutes. Do we continue to limit Boobie or Hickson from playing at all? How do we find enough minutes for a bench of Andy, Z, Moon, Delonte, Boobie and others?
I don’t “want” to trade anyone on the team because I like them all. However, I’m sure whoever we get will be better so I’ll learn to like them too.
I would REALLY like Delonte to work out, he brings such an exciting factor to the team when he’s playing well. He just has to be playing well. Hickson is probably the most expendable as long as we’re getting another better young big in return.
i have NOT done the numbers but it seems the hornets are looking to get away from Chris Paul’s salary. maybe JJ, Mo, Z, and a draft pick for Chris Paul and filler?
would anyone be willing to do this deal – consider, of course, Z will be bought out.
Also, if Z is traded and NOT bought out, and the Cavs win it all…how bad will you feel for the guy? I would hope he could land a front office job just in time for the Finals, or something like that.
Ok please forgive my ignorance… but all season and late last season, I have been trying to find info on what happened to Wally. He is not on any rosters, however I saw a poster state that he is still on Cavs payroll. Can anyone further elaborate as to whats going on with him?
Thanks
It’s very bad idea to make changes to the team that came together so well with Lakers. If we need a Power forward to make a better team, then I would replace only a forward JJ.
Also, we have Wally, Jawad Williams, Darnell Jackson who did not played or fit in to the team.
I would use any of these players to get a best available power forward that would really make a difference. If we need a championship and keep lebron in the team next year i will not convince with Randolph or magneti. Look for a better forward.
@18: Simmons wrote about this a couple days ago (Shaq/Ilgauskas ECs with Jamario Moon (expiring 2011), J.J. Hickson (ditto) and Jawad Williams/Darnell Jackson (EC throw-ins) for CP3, Emeka Okafor, Peja, Peterson and Songaila), saying that there were so many ways for CLE to improve. I agree, but I hesitate to deal the bigs unless it’s for something like this, or they can get one of them back (Z preferably). I’d rather they deal WallyWorld in that deal vice Moon; love his game for the Cavaliers so far.
Simmons link: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/091223&sportCat=nba
Just noticed the link in the JJ paragraph…sorry Jacob. (Those links don’t always stand out…)
Danielle, this is how I understand it. Wally is not on the cavs or on their payroll. However, because he is their free agent, they are allowed to go over the salary cap and sign him for as much as they want. This is very valuble in the NBA where traded players salaries need to be within 25 percent. So if the salaries are off by 7 mill, the cavs can sign and trade wally and the trade now matches in salary and the receiving team has a 7 million dollar contract coming off the books after this season.
@ 21 – and I don’t think Simmons really was aware of the Wally sign and trade possibility, which would prevent the Cavs from having to trade Jamario. I’m pretty sure, Z, Wally, JJ and others for CP3 and the rest would work by signing Wally to a deal comparable to Jamario’s deal. There would probably be riots in New Orleans and it would be grand larceny if the Cavs could pull it off, but good lord.
How about CP3, Mo, LeBron, Okefor and Shaq starting with Andy, Delonte, Parker, Jamario, Boobie, Peja, Peterson and Songala coming off the bench and Z hopefully returning after 30 days. Excuse me while I wipe the drool off my face.
Plus, a core of LeBron, CP3, Mo and Andy would be a championship contender for years to come. I mean could you imagine CP3 and LeBron running the court together?
I think what the Simmons article showed was the Danny Ferry has to be patient. Deals are going to be out there, and the Cavs are probably going to have the chance to really improve. Hopefully, that can be done both in the short and long term.
@DJ, I could barely find that link, even after you said one was there.
@Derick (11) – I do not see any scenario where the Knicks or any other “LeBron-hopefuls” will make a trade of any benefit to the Cavaliers. That would be helping us to keep him.
@Derick (13) – Okafor, West, and Posey? I would love it but I don’t think its a realistic option.
@Saggy (18) – Im not positive, nor do I totally understand the details, but I think Chris Paul has some trade exception/restriction that limits his effective salary for the Hornets in a trade situation. That would mean they couldn’t bring in a huge Z-like contract, but rather a bunch of young talent that we don’t have. Again, I can’t remember where I read that or if it’s even accurate, but if anyone knows the details, feel free to make any comments that may make me look like a complete idiot.
@Jacob: I see where you’re coming from, but in my mind having too many viable rotation guys is not as bad as having not enough. While we do have a rather deep rotation, plus Leon Powe waiting in the wings, I feel like it would almost be a mistake not to trade Wally, as it would literally be a no-risk proposition. Just looking at minutes, Randolph would take JJ’s minutes and probably cut down on both Z’s and Andy’s: my bet would be that we would probably see Andy in the starting lineup initially, but gradually Randolph would step in, as (and BW noted this today in the PD) Andy has done very well in the second unit and works especially well with Z. Adding Maggette, to me, would help limit Mo’s minutes and/or serve as Delonte insurance. Something that to me got lost in the shuffle when Mo sort of disappeared in the Orlando series was fatigue: Mo had never played the amount of high-pressure minutes that he did last year with Milwaukee. He likely had tired legs, since he not only started but also was our primary (only?) scoring option off the bench last year. Maggette is simply a pure scorer who could help take some of the burden off of Mo: putting him in the second unit with Delonte bringing the ball up would allow Mo to get some rest. If Delonte is suspended/unable to play during the stretch run (which is a definite possibility) that means Boobie will get increased minutes. Maggette, while not a ballhandler or outside threat like Boobie, can get his own shot, which as I said previously is a skill that really only LBJ, Mo, and Delonte have…
To recap, I could definitely see some conflict if we moved Wally and got two rotation guys for one, but in the end it would help to spell Mo, serve as insurance for Delonte, and probably take JJ’s minutes and spell Andy.
One guaranteed way to keep LeBron James in Cleveland.Before the season is over hire a coach for next year that will attract some great players and command respect and refuse to let the team lose.
I would love to have a survey of NBA players who would go any where to play for this coach.It would make Cleveland the top franchise for many years to come and titles would be sure to follow.I think LeBron James would sign a lifetime contract to play for this coach.Please Cavaliers take a look at it.By the way this coach who could obviously walk on water and attact everyone who even though they could play lives in Cleveland.His name is
LEBRON JAMES anyone ever heard of Bill Russell ,look up your NBA history and see how the Celtics captured title after title and had their choice of starts……….Hummmmmmmmmmmmm
[...] being said, there are also other options of who could get traded – Jacob did a great job of running through these a few weeks ago. We could see JJ Hickson or Daniel Gibson traded away. There’s always the potential for Sir [...]