Getty Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Looking up and down the roster, the Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the few NBA teams that could stand pat at the trade deadline and likely remain in contention for a championship.
But what if the Cavs do want to wade into the trade waters? They aren’t newcomers to the pool; they pulled off the summer’s best blockbuster by acquiring Donovan Mitchell. But come playoff time, depth is typically what separates teams bound for the Finals and those waiting in the TSA line for a flight to Cancun.
If the Cavs want to upgrade the roster, one place to start might be Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso. Caruso, who won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers during the Bubble Finals in 2020, is an excellent plug-and-play type. According to Michael Pina of The Ringer, Caruso would fit well onto just about any contending team this season.
“The Nuggets already have Bruce Brown, but they also can’t surround Jokic with too many defensive-minded guards. The Mavs would love having him (Jason Kidd coached Caruso in Los Angeles) and he fits on both ends next to Luka Doncic (just as he did with LeBron a few years ago).
“Elsewhere, go on down the line. Warriors? Yes. Celtics? Their rotation is set, but if they want to get off Danilo Gallinari’s contract, sure. Pelicans? Of course. Nets, Cavs, Sixers, or Heat? You betcha. Suns? Absolutely positively. Any other team I haven’t mentioned? I don’t see why not,” Pina wrote.
Caruso, whose 3.2 defensive box plus/minus ranks second in the NBA behind reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, would almost certainly keep the Cavs’ defense at the top of the NBA.
But he’s also proven to be a capable three-point shooter this season, canning 38.9% of his threes this season. If there is a weakness in Cleveland’s lineup, it’s three-point shooting; the Cavaliers are making just 36% of deep balls this season, the 13th mark in the league.
In a lineup that features Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, who excel in the paint and mid-range, having players who can shoot (or at least threaten) from deep is key to keeping the offense running smoothly.
But Caruso isn’t the only three-and-D threat the Cavs have been urged to go out and trade for this season.
OG Anunoby is the ‘Dream’ Cavaliers Trade Target
One of the reasons that Cleveland’s three-point shooting is lagging is because of the singular hole in the team’s starting five: wing. So far, the team has relied on a revolving door of options, including Caris LeVert, Cedi Osman, Isaac Okoro, and Dean Wade.
With no clear answers at the position, Tommy Wild of si.com suggested the Cavs target OG Anunoby of the Toronto Raptors.
“This would be a dream scenario, but it’s hard not to imagine how well OG Anunoby would fit on the Cavs. He’s exactly what a team looking for in a “3 and D” player while also being able to create his own shot,” Wild wrote recently.
Alex Caruso is ready to return tonight after missing the past three games 🙏
Wild conceded that trading for Anunoby would require an emptying of the coffers for Cleveland, but that it “would all be worth it for a Cavs team that is ready to win now.”
While the Cavs might lack the trade capital to pull off an Anunoby trade, it doesn’t mean the team isn’t actively searching for stop-gap solutions on the wing.
Cavs Hunting for Short-Term Help at Wing
Given that the Cavaliers are searching for a way to patch up the wing position, they are expected to be involved in a move for some “short-term” help.
“League sources expect the Cavs to search the trade market for another short-term wing option,” Zach Lowe of ESPN wrote on December 30.
Fortunately for Cleveland, there projects to be no shortage of players that fit that bill ahead of the February trade deadline.
Look at this Donovan Mitchell defense, man.
As Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report noted, there are several intriguing options out there for the Cavs to choose from.
“There should be a number of wings on expiring deals that become available between now and Feb. 9, a list that could include Eric Gordon, Jae Crowder, Josh Richardson, Kyle Kuzma, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Terrence Ross,” Swartz wrote.