Cleveland Cavaliers: The Masterlist Of Targeted Players (To Be Updated)
Sep 26, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Jarrett Jack (3) talks with members of the media during Atlanta Hawks media day at The W Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Who are the players that the Cleveland Cavaliers are trying to acquire?
The Cleveland Cavaliers have had a lot of reported targets and, even on this site, a lot of proposed trade scenarios that aren’t official reports but speculative pieces on players that could improve the team.
With that being said, there needs to be a place where all of the Cleveland Cavaliers reported targets can be viewed. As of now, those players are free agents Mario Chalmers and Jarrett Jack, Chicago Bulls point guard Rajon Rondo and Phoenix Suns swingman P.J. Tucker. Players like Norris Cole, who has been linked to the Cavs, likely isn’t a real target because he’s been healthy at various points and the Cavs still haven’t brought him in.
A player like Carmelo Anthony isn’t a player that needs to be reported as an official target of the Cavs. It’s already well-documented that LeBron James would like to play with his best friends in the NBA (Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade and Anthony) one day, though the logistics make that desire a hard one to fulfill for another couple of years. If Anthony is available, it gives James the opportunity to play with another one of the trio as James has already played beside Wade for four seasons with the Miami Heat. It also gets Anthony out of his bubble in New York so that James can get Anthony, Wade and Paul to synchronize their future free agency periods and eventually sign with a team that will take all of them.
That’s, again, unlikely. Yet, with James anything is possible.
PG Mario Chalmers
Free agent, recovering from Achilles injury
6-foot-2, 190 pounds (30 years old)
Career averages (8 seasons):
9.0 points, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
42.1 percent shooting on all field goal attempts, 35.8 percent on three-point attempts
What he can bring to the Cleveland Cavaliers:
Chalmers is a heady and experienced point guard who can thrive off the ball for the Cavs. Depending on his conditioning level and his level of mobility after recovering from a torn Achilles, Chalmers will also be a staunch defender for the Cavs if close to completely healthy. Chalmers was LeBron James’ teammate for four years with the Miami Heat and had some games that would remind the Cleveland faithful of Matthew Dellavedova. Chalmers would probably be Cleveland’s preferred point guard acquisition if he’s (at least close to) completely healthy.
PG Jarrett Jack
Free agent, hosting private workouts soon
6-foot-3, 200 pounds (33 years old)
Career averages (11 seasons):
11.1 points, 4.5 assists, 0.8 steals per game
44.0 percent shooting on all field goal attempts, 34.6 percent on three-point attempts
What he can bring to the Cleveland Cavaliers:
Jack is a heady veteran who, at one time had signed a four-year contract with the Cavs. However, once James decided to return, Jack had to be traded to create the necessary cap room to sign James. With that said, there shouldn’t be any hard feelings or mistrust on the part of Jack as resigning James is a once in a lifetime chance that the Cavs couldn’t miss. While Jack isn’t the biggest threat off-the-ball, he can play both guard positions because of his size at 6-foot-3, which will allow him to play beside Irving at times. In general, Jack will make the right plays and passes while pushing the pace as much as possible. He’s smooth offensively in terms of how he finds a soft spot in the defense to release his shot and gets it off with a sweet shooting stoke. He also has tremendous court vision and will be able to create for others while creating for himself.
PG Rajon Rondo
Buyout candidate
6-foot-1, 186 pounds (30 years old)
Career averages (11 seasons):
10.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 1.8 steals per game
46.3 percent shooting on all field goal attempts, 29.3 percent on three-point attempts
What he can bring to the Cleveland Cavaliers:
Rondo brings intelligence and pure-passing ability to the Cleveland Cavaliers if he reaches a buyout agreement with the Chicago Bulls and chooses to sign with the Cavs. With signing Rondo comes a level of weariness at his potentially volatile and explosive nature but if Wade and Taj Gibson are going to bat for Rondo, then there’s a chance that Rondo has changed his attitude enough for that not be a concern. On the court, Rondo will be able to set up the Cavs bevy of long-distance shooters for clean looks provided he plays with energy. He’s not a strong three-point shooter by any means but should be able to knock in the corner threes with some level of consistency. Defensively, Rondo should be hid on a slower player as Iman Shumpert (when J.R. Smith returns) and DeAndre Liggins take on the best scorers in the second unit but with his long arms and quick hands, he should be able to make impact plays so long as he stays active and alert.
G-F P.J. Tucker
Trade Candidate
6-foot-6, 245 pounds
Career averages (6 seasons):
7.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.2 steals per game
43.4 percent shooting on all field goal attempts, 34.4 percent on three-point attempts
What he can bring to the Cleveland Cavaliers:
The Cleveland Cavaliers might not seem like they need another versatile wing but Tucker is a player who could probably defend all five positions at 6-foot-5. He’s gritty and tenacious as a defender and is a player who would benefit the Cavs as they take on the Golden State Warriors and their “Super Death Lineup”. If James matches up against Draymond Green at center, the Cavs will have a bevy on wings and forwards to fit around James in that lineup with the addition of Tucker. Imagine the team that could take the air out of the best small-ball lineup in the NBA. Offensively, Tucker is as versatile as he is defensively. He can post-up, pull-up or spot-up for the Cavs and be an effective scorer.
F Carmelo Anthony
Potential offseason acquisition
6-foot-8, 240 pounds
Career averages (14 seasons):
24.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists per game
45.2 percent shooting on all field goal attempts, 34.6 percent on three-point attempts
What he can bring to the Cleveland Cavaliers:
This question is more difficult to answer without knowing what the Cleveland Cavaliers would give up in a trade. If the Cavs choose to move Kevin Love to acquire Anthony, Anthony is a player who can do everything Love does on the court offensively and better. He’s a player who won’t just be used as a big-time threat in the first quarter, he’ll have the potential to be explosive every quarter. Defensively, Anthony doesn’t have the level of effort Love has but once he acquires it, and it would happen with the Cavs, Anthony will be just as able a team defender as Love while being better at containing the ball-handler on the perimeter and stopping dribble penetration. If the Cavs keep Love in this deal, then the Cavs would be playing a version of bully-ball that has either James starting at shooting guard. It’s an intriguing concept and one that would give the Cavs oodles of offensive firepower.
What do you think of the players that have been reported as targets for the Cleveland Cavaliers? Let us know in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.
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