The Cleveland Cavaliers picked up a nice load of players and picks when they finally found a buyer in the Kyrie Irving trade sweepstakes. One of the items that the Cavs picked up that will help down the line is the Brooklyn Nets’ first-round NBA Draft pick. With the Nets working on rebuilding their roster, there is a good chance that the pick could be a very high one, similar to how the Boston Celtics won the Eastern Conference in the 2016-17 NBA season and still had a Top 5 pick thanks to an earlier trade.
With a plethora of talent coming into the NBA in 2018, here is a look at some of the players that the Cleveland Cavaliers could bring in with a high NBA Draft pick to trade away.
DeMarcus Cousins
DeMarcus Cousins is working right now down with the New Orleans Pelicans alongside Anthony Davis. However, there is feat from Pelicans fans that Cousins and Davis might not be the best combination to put New Orleans in a position to win big. There are rumors that the Pelicans might even trade their franchise player, Anthony Davis if they don’t win this year. If that happens, the Pelicans will need to start rebuilding immediately.
They will have a high NBA Draft pick anyway if the two players can’t succeed this season.
The Cleveland Cavaliers could give them a second high-level NBA Draft pick as well, and DeMarcus Cousins could be a big enough name to bring in to help convince LeBron James to stay in Cleveland. The Cavs have talked about bringing in Cousins before, and if it will help them keep LeBron in town, there is no reason to think they won’t try again. If the Pelicans start to lose early, expect to hear more about Cousins to Cleveland as the season wears on.
Marc Gasol
At one time, the Memphis Grizzlies was right there alongside the Oklahoma City Thunder as two of the top young teams in the NBA. However, both teams have suffered massive losses, with the Thunder losing Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka, James Harden, and more over the years.
Memphis has seen the collapse even harsher, with Zach Randolph and Vince Carter leaving and Tony Allen possibly on the way out. That leaves Marc Gasol wondering if he might be better served to try to win an NBA title elsewhere.
If Memphis trades Gasol, they could find a suitable buyer in the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Grizzlies could end up with a high 2018 NBA Draft pick to start rebuilding and try to revive their struggling franchise. Marc Gasol might even be a better fit with the Cavs than Cousins and would give LeBron James an excellent partner to possibly push for an NBA title this season if the trade comes before the deadline.
Andre Drummond
Just like the other two players, Andre Drummond is a center and he could tremendously help the Cavaliers.
While he is not as skilled as Cousins or Gasol, Drummond is an exceptional rebounder. Considering that Cleveland struggled with rebounding in the last NBA Finals, they would benefit from Drummond's presence.
As for the Detroit Pistons, the draft pick they'd receive would help them rebuild. It is unlikely that they will become contenders with the current core, yet the draft pick could help them rise to the top once again.