The Cleveland Cavaliers booked probably their best win of the season against legitimate title contender Memphis Grizzlies 105-91 on Sunday at Quicken Loans Arena.
Dion Waiters, who has been mentioned several time as likely candidate to be moved between now and February 19 trade deadline, caught fire as he shot 9-for-16 from the field for 21 points.
The former Syracuse standout dropped 21-point game in two of the Cavs last three games, as he slowly adapts to David Blatt's catch-and-shoot assignment.
With Waiters proving to be a valuable component on the bench, trading him for a rim protector or wing defender appears to be the best available option for the Cavs, according to ESPN NBA writer Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst.
Windhorst and Stein, who stated in their previous reports that the Waiters for Kosta Koufus is worth monitoring, thinks Waiters in a 'de facto showcase mode,' in which he was given more freedom to take shots and pad up his numbers to make it look even more appealing on the trading front.
And apparently, there's no better time to showcase talent than against the team being linked as potential landing spot, in case the Cavs pursues their plan in trading him.
Windhorst's report after the Cavs 105-91 win over the Grizzlies:
"[Cavs GM] Griffin has backed this up. Since he was named the general manager in February he has executed seven trades, he has send away 13 players and acquiring seven. As for Waiters, he's one of the Cavs' most useful assets and his name being out there is part of the business."
"So there is some irony that Waiters lit up the Grizzlies for 21 points off the bench in the Cavs' 105-91 victory Sunday night. It wasn't exactly a showcase but essentially Waiters is in a de facto showcase mode for the foreseeable future."
In spite entering the 2014-15 NBA season with three of the most dynamic scorers in the game (Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and LeBron James), the Cavs surprisingly aren't intimidating teams.
At 16-10 in soft schedule, the Cavaliers clearly have holes to plug in. Their rim protections have always been the issue, and for the NBA insiders and analysts, trading Waiters for a shot-blocking big-man is the only ticket to title contention.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
