The Cleveland Cavaliers have been one of the largest subjects of trade speculation this season. Although the team has been mostly great, they seem to be a tier below the Western Conference title contenders. As a result, it seems apparent that the team is looking to improve the roster down the stretch of the season.
According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Cavs are looking at possibly trading for Sacramento Kings’ center Kosta Koufos. Koufos is a talented big man who can at the very least provide rim protection for a team that often lacks it. The Cavs really took off last season after trading for Timofey Mozgov and they would be looking for the same sort of spark with Koufos.
The Kings, meanwhile, should be willing to trade their recent free agent acquisition. With DeMarcus Cousins and a pleasantly surprising Willie Cauley-Stein holding down the big-man spots, Koufos is mostly redundant in Sacramento. He can be a valuable trade chip for the Kings to get players that can better help them.
The Cavs have a trade exception that they can use in order to bring in contracts without giving much in return. If the Kings value cap space, they can trade Koufos and take only expiring deals back. They would be wise to attempt to get a pick in return as well, but the Cavs do not have many assets to use in trade scenarios.
This is one of the few trades I could see happening this offseason. The Cavs would get a rim protector that’s locked up long term and have the flexibility to trade Mozgov for another small piece. The Kings could free up cap space, get more minutes for Cauley-Stein, and potentially add a low draft pick.
This rumor will be one to keep an eye on.
