Cleveland Cavaliers: Updated 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 (workout with the Cleveland Cavaliers on 2/1/2017)
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
Trade Candidate (one rejected trade offer)
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.
PG Jameer Nelson
Trade Candidate
6-foot-0, 190 pounds
Career averages (13 seasons):
11.8 points, 5.2 assists, 0.9 steals 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:
Jammer Nelson is a player that the Cleveland Cavaliers should want for both his on-court production and his locker room presence. On a team where tensions get high, at times, Nelson can be a stabilizing presence with his veteran leadership. Not that there aren’t enough leaders on the Cleveland Cavaliers but you can never have too many good locker room leaders. On-the-court, Nelson is a player that can do everything the Cavs need him to do in the second unit. He can set up the shooters, he can get to the rim and he can knock down three-pointers himself. Nelson has long been rumored to be a target for the Cavs and with the Nuggets interest in Cedi Osman, it’s possible that a deal gets done.
PG Deron Williams
Buyout Candidate
6-foot-3, 200 pounds
Career averages (12 seasons):
16.6 points, 8.2 assists, 1.0 steal per game
44.4 percent shooting on all field goal attempts, 35.7 percent on three-point attempts
What he can bring to the Cleveland Cavaliers:
Deron Williams is one of the most intelligent players in the NBA and has tremendous court vision. That ability is what makes him so attractive to the Cleveland cavaliers, as he’ll be able to create shots for the second unit offense with that vision. His 12 seasons in the league (including this season) don’t hurt either. Although Williams has lost athleticism as he’s aged, he’s still able to score efficiently after receiving a screen. In part, it’s his ability to get his bigs the ball in position to score efficiently makes him more dangerous as a threat off of screens and with the Cavs frontcourt, he’ll have plenty of room to get to the rim. Defensively, Williams isn’t going to be the player to stop the quicker point guards or those that are the better ballhandlers. Nonetheless, he has the size to play both guard positions. Size that has allowed him to play the shooting guard position 62.0 percent of the time for the Dallas Mavericks, to be exact.
PG Shelvin Mack
Trade Candidate
6-foot-3, 203 pounds
Career averages (6 seasons):
6.3 points, 2.9 assists, 2.2 rebounds per game
44.4 percent shooting on all field goal attempts, 31.6 percent on three-point attempts
What he can bring to the Cleveland Cavaliers:
Shelvin Mack is a bulldog player defensively and he’ll be able to set a defensive tone for the second unit as he guards either guard position. That should be the best thing he can do for the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, Mack is also an able scorer and has no problem unleashing a floater to get his shot off around the rim. He’s not the strongest three-point shooter, as his career averages will show. He did manage to shoot 35.7 percent from behind the arc in 28 games with the Utah Jazz last year though. He’ll be a nice two-way player for the Cleveland Cavaliers if acquired.
PG T.J. McConnell
Trade Candidate (one rejected trade offer)
6-foot-2, 200 pounds
Career averages (2 seasons):
5.9 points, 5.1 assists, 1.3 steals per game
45.2 percent shooting on all field goal attempts, 32.5 percent on three-point attempts
What he can bring to the Cleveland Cavaliers:
Matthew Dellavedova. That’s a thought that comes to mind when T.J. McConnell is discussed. Unfortunately, the Cleveland Cavaliers are unlikely to get McConnell via trade because the Philadelphia 76ers aren’t willing to trade him. Which makes sense. McConnell is an outstanding facilitator and is one of those players that’s young but has a veteran-like aspect to their game that the numbers don’t necessarily show. McConnell is great at using his own body as a diversion and he gets defenders to follow him rather than the shooter he wants to be open. His ball-handling isn’t necessarily the best but because he constantly pushes the pace, he’s able to take advantage of his sense of speed with shots from the midrange and around the midrange. Defensively, McConnell will pick up players full court and for the Cavs, defenders like that will be necessary as they try to establish a defensive identity.
PG Kirk Hinrich
Free Agent (workout with Cleveland Cavaliers on 2/1/2017)
6-foot-4, 190 pounds
Career averages (13 seasons):
10.9 points, 4.8 assists, 2.9 rebounds per game
41.1 percent shooting on all field goal attempts, 37.5 percent on three-point attempts
What he can bring to the Cleveland Cavaliers:
Kirk Hinrich is a scoring guard but is a playmaker in the sense that he looks to create for others the entire time he’s on the court. Despite his age at 36-years-old, he doesn’t look move around the court like one of the older guys which is surprising for a player who was never the most athletic. He’s still able to get to the rim at a fairly consistent rate, Where Hinrich will be most useful for the Cavs, besides as a the veteran point guard that comes off the bench is as a player that can play with the starters as a second point guard. His ability to shoot threes makes him threat off-the-ball and one that will be able to keep the offense rolling should Iman Shumpert enter a shooting slump.
SG Lance Stephenson
Free Agent (workout with Cleveland Cavaliers on 2/1/2017)
6-foot-5, 230 pounds
Career averages (7 seasons):
8.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists
45.1 percent shooting on all field goal attempts, 30.5 percent on three-point attempts
What he can bring to the Cleveland Cavaliers:
Lance Stephenson is a player who can make or break the team’s momentum without LeBron James on the floor and that’s what makes him such an enticing prospect but makes front offices wary of signing him. His streakiness aside, Stephenson is a player who has to show maturity for the Cleveland Cavaliers to sign him. That doesn’t mean he has to be different but that he has to show that he’s earnestly just interested in winning and bettering himself as a person and player. He’s capable of that. On the court, Stephenson is an intense defender who can guard up to four positions and he’ll be able to fly around in the second unit and cause havoc. Offensively, Stephenson is an above-average ballhandler that can consistently create space to get a shot off. He’s best as a finisher around the rim but will occasionally get hot as a shooter. As a facilitator, his ability to create space for himself to shoot and his reputation as a volume shooter are what allow him to work his teammates open for open shots. He’s a willing passer and if he sees that a player is in position to score he’ll find them.
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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