National Basketball Association

LeBron: Cavs can win title with current roster

Published Feb. 20, 2015 9:44 a.m. ET

foxsports

CLEVELAND -- It was a flurry of an NBA trading deadline, but the Cavaliers did what they pretty much expected to do all along. They stood pat.

And if you ask their biggest star, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

"We can win a championship with this roster," LeBron James said from practice Thursday.

Given recent circumstances, it's hard to call the man crazy. After all, the Cavs have won 14 of 16 as they enter the post-All-Star-break portion of the schedule.

The fun begins again Friday, when the Cavs (33-22) travel to Washington. This could be considered a biggie -- since the Cavs hold the No. 5 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference, and the Wizards (33-21) are a half-game better and own the fourth.

Cavs general manager David Griffin did do his part as the deadline approached, taking and making the obligatory phone calls, just as all league execs do at this time of year. But it appears no deal was close, and for the Cavs, that's certainly OK.

They've already pulled off a number of major maneuvers since July, freeing up cap space and allowing free agents (including none other than James) to make their way to Cleveland. Plus, Griffin made his biggest trades long before the deadline, shipping Dion Waiters to Oklahoma City, and landing J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert from New York, and eventually, Timofey Mozgov from Denver.

Those deals may not have been completed on the day the rest of the league was whipped into a frenzy, but they are every bit as meaningful.

In fact, James seems to be of the opinion that the Cavs' midseason trades are about all it will take. That, and some general good fortune.

"Obviously health is a huge thing. Clicking at the right time," he said. "The team that's clicking at the right time, is healthy at the right time, can make a huge push. I believe we can make a push to win one."

This isn't to say the Cavs' roster is set for the season. They still have an available roster spot, and they still plan to explore the free-agent market. That market will only increase, as a number of veteran players who were traded Thursday will have their contracts bought out. That means those players can be signed by any team (except the one that traded them). With a recruiter like James and some championship aspirations, the Cavs very well could have their pick of the litter.

But even if everything stays the same, James is game. He still has Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and others lined up next to him, and he still has the experience of four straight Finals appearances with Miami.

Now, James didn't guarantee anything. He just made it clear that, all things considered, he believes.

"We still gotta go out there and play," he said. "But this roster can challenge any team out there."

Norris Cole traded

Former Cleveland State point guard Norris Cole was traded from the Heat to New Orleans at the deadline on Thursday.

Cole spent the three seasons before this one with James and the Heat, reaching the Finals every year and winning a championship in each of his first two.

Cole thanked the Heat on his Twitter account following the trade.

"Thank you @MiamiHEAT HeatNation for the opportunity!" he wrote. "Many Great memories! 2 Championships in 3yrs! @PelicansNBA IM READY 2 WORK!"

Cole lost some playing time to rookie point guard Shabazz Napier, and multiple executives told FOX Sports Ohio prior to the deadline that Cole would be traded.

He is averaging 6.3 points and 3.5 assists in 47 games (including a career-high 23 starts) this season. He was selected by Chicago with the No. 28 pick in the 2011 draft, then immediately traded to the Heat.

Cole is a native of Dayton and was set to join Walsh University in Canton on a football scholarship, before being recruited by Cleveland State coach Gary Waters. Cole then went on to become the first person in Horizon League history to be named Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season (2010-11).