The Cleveland Cavaliers might not be done yet in adding talent to already formidable roster. According to Zach Lowe of Grantland, the Cavs could pull off a trade to give them another solid wingman or rim protection at some point this season.
Despite trading for Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Kevin Love last August, the Cavs are still loaded with trade assets in their stash. Aside from promising young players like Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson, the Cavs have draft picks and trade exceptions which they can use to absorb another quality talent.
Last month, the Cavs came through with a trade with Boston Celtics for veteran Keith Bogans. It was presumed that the Cavs would keep Bogans for the entire 2014-15 season because of his attractive non-guaranteed, but they traded the veteran off-guard the next day to the Philadelphia 76ers, creating a $5.3 million trade exception.
According to Lowe, the Cavs are expected to use the $5.3 million trade exception for another wing player or rim protector before February trade deadline. Cleveland has been eyeing David Blatt's former starting center with the Russian national team in Timofey Mozgov of the Denver Nuggets, while shooting guards like Jared Dudley, Corey Brewer and Iman Shumpert are also possible trade targets.
"The Cavs have a $5.3 million trade exception courtesy of the Keith Bogans Memorial Contract, and they'll likely kick the tires on a number of workable wing defenders who fit into that salary - Corey Brewer, Iman Shumpert, Jared Dudley, Kyle Singler, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Wesley Johnson, Reggie Bullock, an excess Memphis wing, and others," Lowe stated in his latest report.
"Not all of those guys will be available, and they'd all come with major questions - about mind-set (Shumpert), shooting ability (Brewer), and other stuff. But Cleveland will look as hard for a 3-and-D wing as it will for a rim protector. Hell, it might even get both - one via trade, and the other when buyout candidates start trickling in around January."
With their current roster, the Cavs are already one of the top-2 favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference alongside the Chicago Bulls. However, if general manager David Griffin can somehow and someway hammer another deal that would cover other loopholes for the team, then the debate on which is the best team in the NBA will be no longer relevant by then.
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