Could This Former Cav Be Heading Back to Cleveland?
CLEVELAND- Cavs fans are finally starting to see the light at the end of the post-LeBron era rebuild. A young, exciting team with boatloads of potential, but is it time to capitalize on that potential?
Despite their injuries, the Cavs are currently holding the 7th seed in the East. This is primarily due to their tenacious defense and play from All-Star bound big man Andre Drummond.
The Cavs already made a big play in the Harden sweepstakes by trading for young stud center Jarrett Allen and role player Taurean Prince. Perhaps this was a move centered around bolstering their bench, or maybe the Cavs are trying to hedge their bets on Drummond and capitalize on his hot start.
Drummond is currently playing under a huge contract and living up to that money as well. With his contract expiring after this year, it plays to the Cavaliers’ advantage.
It’s no secret that the Cavs front office thinks it can compete right now. With the emergence of what fans are calling ‘Sexland’ and a deep bench, the Cavs look like they can compete in the East, but it is clear they are missing that go-to scoring option.
Sexton has been great, but his ability to create his own shot is somewhat limited right now. While Drummond has been scoring at a higher clip this season, he is still averaging under 20 points per game. Suitable for a center, but as a secondary scorer that can create his shot, his tools are limited to the inside.
Cavs have been linked to multiple big names such as SF Ben Simmons and PG Russell Westbrook, so it would not be a surprise to see them become buyers on some of the premier big names on the trade block.
SG Bradley Beal for Andre Drummond, SF Kevin Porter Jr., and a First-Round Pick.
Bradley Beal has been on the trading block for seemingly a century. While it’s too early to tell if the Westbrook/Beal combo will be a bust, one thing is for sure; they are not a finals contender.
Washington’s defense has been atrocious to start the year, so bad that Beal said, “We can’t cover a parked car.” Ouch.
Acquiring Drummond still gives them a chance to compete while giving them time to evaluate their status.
The trade gives the Wizards something they have not had previously: flexibility. Along with Drummond comes Kevin Porter, who is not just a throw-in on the deal. Porter is a guy that many NBA GMs think can be a star talent in this league. With the relationship between Porter and the Cavs front office being up in the air, the Wizards would be foolish not to take advantage of it.
Suppose the Wizards decide that the combination of Westbrook and Drummond, along with a young studded cast, doesn’t work. In that case, they can dump Drummond’s contract at the end of the year and begin their rebuild with KPJ and the picks they acquired from the Cavaliers.
The Cavs get their go-to guy in Bradley Beal, who is also a lockdown defender. A guy that fits perfectly in coach JB Bickerstaff’s system and is averaging over 30 ppg this season. With Allen’s addition, the Cavs can afford to give up Drummond, but trading for Beal can also be a gamble.
SF Demar Derozan for Andre Drummond and Kevin Porter Jr.
The Spurs are in a peculiar spot at the moment. Sitting at the bottom of the West, it is unclear what their path is. Demar Derozan had been a four-time All-Star while residing in the East but has not made the all-star team in the West in his two years with the Spurs.
Perhaps a trip back East is just the change in scenery Derozan needs. Coupling with a fellow mental advocate and close friend, PF Kevin Love, would make him a good fit and locker room presence.
The Spurs get a young big man in Drummond, which would allow C LaMarcus Aldridge to step out and stretch the floor as he did in Portland. This would be reminiscent of coach Greg Popovich’s system when he had a young C Tim Duncan and C David Robinson. Pop would also get a young and talented guard to pair with young rising star PG Dejounte Murray. Pop is the Bill Belichick of the NBA; he believes that he can get any guy to buy in no matter the off-court circumstances in his system. This gives Pop a new project that perhaps he was looking for in this weird transition period.
PG Cj McCollum for Andre Drummond, Kevin Porter Jr. and a pick.
With C Jusuf Nurkic out for the season and the clarity that the duo of CJ McCollum and Damian Lillard is not a duo that will win finals, it may be time for the Blazers to retool. Andre Drummond brings a 2nd scoring option but does not demand the ball as much as McCollum. This allows Lillard to be able to control an offense in which he is the centerpiece.
With the help of draft picks and KPJ, the Blazers get some valuable bench pieces that will make them one of the West’s deeper benches. As for the Cavs, this is a match made in heaven. McCollum was born in Cleveland and still has a deep connection to the city. He is not shy about his love for the Browns as he is continuously tweeting every gameday. He loves the city and the city loves him. He makes up for some of the Cavs scoring woes and he has been proven to play off-ball when he needs to. This is a good fit piece for the Cavs.
Andrew Wiggins and F Kelly Oubre for Andre Drummond.
This one has to be the most intriguing for Cavs fans. Andrew Wiggins making his return, or non-return? Was he even here long enough… Nevermind.
Oh, have the mighty have fallen, two teams at the top of the NBA now lobbying for a position in their respective conferences.
With SG Klay Thompson out and the Warriors not getting much offensive firepower aside from PG Steph Curry, they may be looking to add a significant piece that can supplement their lack of offense while still keeping their defensive mentality. Drummond is an excellent fit in the short term and could take some of the pressure off of rookie C James Wiseman.
The Cavs are finally reunited with their former #1 overall pick and get a stud role player in F Kelly Oubre. This would make sense for the Cavs as they get two guys that can create and score in bunches and can defend at a high level.