Grading 4 Cavaliers trade deadline targets from no-brainer to must-avoid
Breaking down several potential Cavs trade targets by desirability.
After starting the season a disappointing 13-12, the Cleveland Cavaliers have taken the NBA by storm and gone 19-4 since December 15 to claim the second spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Sitting at 32-16 overall, they are one of the hottest teams in the association.
This is an excellent development for Cavs fans hoping to keep Donovan Mitchell in town. After rumors of him being dealt surfaced earlier in the season, General Manager Koby Altman has since reportedly told opposing executives to “lose his number” regarding any potential trades for Mitchell.
With the trade deadline less than 48 hours away, Cleveland will continue trying to level up in order to remain at the top of East when the playoffs begin. There have been several players linked to the Cavs over the last several weeks. Here, we will order them from most desirable to have on the roster (no-brainer) to least desirable (must-avoid).
Royce O’Neale – Absolute no-brainer
The Brooklyn Nets wing has been connected to the Cavaliers as one of their top targets multiple times this season. Playing in his seventh professional season, O’Neale is a very solid option as a three-and-D player that can be relied on in various situations over the course of a 48-minute game.
Through 48 games with the Nets in 2023-24, he is putting up averages of 7.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and shooting 36% from beyond the arc, all while playing his lowest minutes since his second season in 2018-19. There are not many red flags when it comes to O’Neale’s game. He is very much a role player, but he performs well in what he is asked to do.
Cleveland could use a player of his variety to create more lineup flexibility as well as to give them another reliable defender, which will become hugely important in the playoffs.
Tyus Jones – Semi no-brainer
The Cavaliers are in search of someone to fill more minutes at backup point guard, and there may not be a better option on the market right now than Tyus Jones. Traded to the Wizards from the Memphis Grizzlies last summer, Jones has been putting up yet another masterclass of efficiency this season in Washington.
Operating as a full-time starter for the first time in his professional career, Jones is putting up a career-high 12.2 points and 6.6 assists per game, while turning the ball over less than one time per game on average. He is the picture of what an efficient point guard looks like, and his pass-first style very much resembles that of an “old school” point guard.
Jones would be an excellent option for Cleveland to consider to back up Darius Garland. Not only has the savvy veteran proven that he can hang with starter level players this season, but he would now be able to take a step back to the bench and could potentially thrive in a backup role even more than before.
The only drawback to the Cavs pursuing Jones would likely be the price tag. The Wizards are reportedly asking for a first-round draft pick in exchange for their talented ball handler, which could be enough to make Cleveland say no.
Andrew Wiggins – Semi must-avoid
One selling point for certain players around this time of year can become the fact that they have championship experience. While that is not an attribute that is meaningless, it can be misplaced when talking about certain players, and this certainly applies to Andrew Wiggins.
After winning the championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2022, Wiggins finally took a big step toward dispelling the narrative that he was a “losing player” and that it was hard to win with him. He was frequently the second-best shot creator and overall player on that Warriors roster in the playoffs, behind Stephen Curry.
But since then, multiple factors have contributed to his play taking a significant step back. Wiggins was forced to take time off last season due to personal matters, and his numbers have taken a steep decline this year. He is averaging just 12.2 points on 43% shooting for the Warriors, a noticeable falloff after averaging at least 16.9 points for each of the first nine seasons of his career.
Wiggins is still a veteran player with playoff experience who can theoretically provide good three-and-D minutes. But there is little reason to believe he will break out of this slump any time soon, and the asking price Golden State will likely have for him would not be worth the risk.
Matisse Thybulle – Absolute must-avoid
In the modern NBA, there have historically been roles for each and every type of player. If someone could not provide production in one or several areas of their game, they could always theoretically still find a place to thrive by capitalizing on their strengths.
But as times change and the average NBA player becomes more skilled and well-rounded, there is becoming less place for true “specialty” players. That is, those players that can excel in one particular area but fall short in several other important skills. This is unfortunate news for a player the likes of Matisse Thybulle.
Drafted as a defensive specialist, Thybulle still excels on that end of the floor. He is currently averaging 1.6 steals and 0.8 blocks for the Portland Trail Blazers this season. But on the offensive end, he is a black hole, shooting 41% from the floor and converting just 37.5% of his catch-and-shoot looks.
This is not to say Thybulle can not still be successful in the right situation in the NBA, but there are fewer scenarios where he would be useful than say a decade ago. He may not be a very expensive target for the Cavs, but they should still avoid him.
