Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 Prime Playmakers David Griffin Should Target
May 4, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; The Cleveland Cavaliers bench, including forward Kevin Love (0), guard Iman Shumpert (4), guard J.R. Smith (5), and center Tristan Thompson (13) celebrate Cleveland Cavaliers guard Mo Williams’ (52) three-pointer during the fourth quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. The three-pointer was the 25th of the game for the Cavs. The Cavs won 123-98. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
The Cleveland Cavaliers are the best team in the Eastern Conference, but as LeBron James said, they must find another rotational playmaker.
LeBron James is the renown leader of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and after the loss to the Anthony Davis-less Pelicans, he went off to the media. According to ESPN, he said this:
“We need a (expletive) playmaker,” James said. “I’m not saying you can just go find one, like you can go outside and see trees. I didn’t say that.”
James also tweeted out several times after the game giving another call to action for David Griffin and the Cavaliers management. This call to action is certainly justified too.
The Cavaliers have one of the worst scoring benches in the NBA. Over the last 15 games, they have scored just 26.9 bench points per game which is 28th in the NBA.
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This Cavaliers team does not have a fourth player averaging double figures. This could be a problem when rivals such as the Raptors and Celtics have four and five respectively. A balanced attack is crucial in the modern-day NBA, and the Cavaliers just don’t have it, but any one of these players could certainly help.
Throughout the last several games, the Cavaliers have also shown a defensive weakness, so hopefully they can obtain a player maker to help with that also.
So, without further ado, let’s start to breakdown the alluring additions the Cavaliers could make.
Player #1: Deron Williams – Dallas Mavericks
While LeBron James did also call out the Cavaliers for needing a point guard, Deron Williams would solve basically all their problems except their defensive one.
Williams, who is 32-years-old, signed a one-year contract with the Dallas Mavericks. He signed this for $9 million, so his value for his price should still leave the searching Cavs begging for his services. Williams has averaged a steady 13.7 points per game this season, and he could be the spark the Cavaliers need off of the bench to revive their sharpshooting bench players.
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The Mavericks, while not necessarily wanting to trade Williams, could easily give him up. This upcoming draft is stacked full of talented point guards, and the Mavericks are currently set to have the fifth pick or even higher if the lottery is in their favor. They may not want to tank, but it is the best option for them.
Williams role would be crucial for the Cavaliers. He would be able to take charge of the second unit which would consist of Kyle Korver, Richard Jefferson, and Channing Frye. Two of those three are dead-eye sharpshooters and all three can knock a triple down.
Williams 40.8 assist rate helps prove that he is still a pass-first point guard. The Cavaliers need someone to make the plays, and as they sit at 18th in the league is assists, Williams would certainly help create and distribute offense all over the court for the Cavs.
If cheap, Williams would be a great addition for the Cavaliers.
Dec 23, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets point guard Jarrett Jack (2) plays the ball against the Dallas Mavericks during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Player #2: Jarrett Jack- Free Agent
Jarrett Jack, while not as much as an offensive force as Deron Williams, is basically free. He would probably take a less-than-desirable salary in order to play for the Cavaliers.
Jack played and started in 32 games for the Brooklyn Nets last year, and he was later waived by the Atlanta Hawks after tearing his ACL. But, according to CBS’s RotoWire Staff, he is just about back. They said this regarding Jack’s health:
However, he’s finally close to 100 percent healthy and is slated to hold an open audition for guard-needy teams, which should draw plenty of interest for the 33-year-old veteran.
Jack averaged 12.8 points per game which is actually above his career-average. His assists were also up to 7.8 which is again above his career-average. I just say this to prove that Jarrett Jack can still play.
The key with Jack is his cost. He would basically send Iman Shumpert to the trading block, and his availability would free up space for the Cavaliers to trade Shump for a rim protector. So not only would the Cavaliers obtain a trusty veteran, they could fill another hole on their team. This would be too good for them not to jump on.
Signing Jack is one of the best options for the Cavaliers, and they should certainly look into what this veteran could bring to the team.
Jan 20, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Nick Young (0) reacts after a basket during the second quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Player #3: Nick Young- Los Angeles Lakers
The guys nickname is “Swaggy P”, how can you now want that? Nick Young brings that swag. He brings that energy that the Cavaliers have lacked since losing J.R. Smith.
Nick Young has been feeling it this season. He is shooting an career-high 44.5% from the field, and he is shooting a career-high from three-point land at 41.6%. His 2.9 threes per game would certainly help the Cavaliers dominate even more from behind the arc.
The 6-foot-7, 31-year-old has been having a terrific season, but it is sad to see it wasted as the Lakers are in not even close to playoff contention. It’s hard to gage Young’s value and importance to the Lakers, but the Cavliers might be able to pry him for little.
The Lakers are still a couple years away from real contention in the NBA, and by that time, Nick Young would 33 or 34 and basically irrelevant. Also, just imagine watching Nick Young and J.R. Smith play in the Finals together because when those two talents decide to lock-in, the possibilities are endless.
LeBron asked for a playmaker, and Nick Young is certainly able to create for himself and others.
It is enjoyable to try to pinpoint players that may fit well on the Cavaliers especially after LeBron’s call to action, but we want your feedback also.
Tell us. If you were the GM of the Cavaliers, which playmaker would you try to trade for?
