Fresh off a 7-8 month and recent drama of all sorts surrounding LeBron James, it may finally be time to hit the panic button on the Cleveland Cavaliers. While the Eastern Conference still lacks the firepower needed to take down LeBron and the Cavs come postseason, there are some teams slowly creeping up the standings such as the Boston Celtics and the Washington Wizards. While I’d still unwaveringly choose Cleveland to come out of the East, this midseason epidemic is surely a concerning sign.
Even though The Cavs are evidently stacked with talent from top to bottom on their roster, LeBron’s request for another playmaker will likely eventually have to be respected. Cleveland management has already taken steps towards adding guard talent as they are scheduled to hold a free agent workout for multiple available players such as Lance Stephenson, Mario Chalmers, and Kirk Hinrich. The Cavs are also expecting guard Jordan Farmar to be in attendance for the workout according to Marc Stein of ESPN.
The Cavaliers could gauge the trade market to add a playmaker, even though they already acquired sharpshooter Kyle Korver. One of those trade candidates may be Mavericks guard Deron Williams and another potential name on the Cavs radar could be Baron Davis as he looks to make an NBA comeback. Following from USAToday’s Sam Amick:
The Cavs could take the trade route too, of course, and they are known to have inquired about the Dallas Mavericks’ Deron Williams.
The 32-year-old, three-time All-Star is in the final year of his deal ($9 million), and it’s worth noting that Dallas has shown interest in the Cavs’ Iman Shumpert previously when he was a free agent (he’s owed a combined $31 million for this season and the next two, with a player option for 2018-19).
When it comes to NBA players who can draw a crowd by holding up a ‘Help Wanted’ sign, James may top the list. The asset-depleted Cavs are looking to buy low to fill their final roster spot, too, which creates a sliver of hope for anyone and everyone who believes they could fill this role.
Case in point: former Cavaliers guard Baron Davis, now 37 years old and more than four years removed from his last NBA game, is known to covet the job and insists he could do it well so long as he had two weeks to get into tip-top shape (he played six games in the NBA Development League last season, averaging 12.8 points, 3.5 assists and 22.5 minutes.
While Deron Williams is already in the back end of his career, his veteran presence and savviness could be exactly what Cleveland needs to get out of this slump, though the chances of a deal happening aren’t too favorable.
How ever Cleveland’s quest for another playmaker pans out should be interesting. Whether they look to the trade market or make a splashy free-agent signing remains to be seen but either way, you can almost guarantee the move will have LeBron’s fingerprints all over it as they again look to cruise through the suddenly deep Eastern Conference.
