Even after losing one of the best point guards in the league in Kyrie Irving, the Cleveland Cavaliers managed to save their offseason by signing a few more star players. While Irving's trade to the Boston Celtics was first considered bad for Cleveland, the truth is that the Cavaliers got a better end of the deal. Letting Irving go was not easy since he was the second-best player on the team, but they got a lot in return, including a valuable draft pick they could trade to another team.
By trading Kyrie Irving to Boston, the Cavaliers acquired Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder and Ante Zizic.
Thomas and Crowder are amazing players and trading Irving for them would be a good move. However, Cleveland got much more in return, including two draft picks. One of those picks is the first-round pick next year that came from the Brooklyn Nets. Considering that the Nets aren't a great team, this pick is valuable and could be traded to another team for a superstar.
DeMarcus Cousins in Cleveland?
Cleveland Cavaliers will most likely use Kevin Love as their starting center next season. Love's backup will be Tristan Thompson, who used to be a starter on the team. While both of them can play at this position, having a superstar center would be a much better option. Love is a great player, but he is a power forward and he may not adapt to the other position.
The Cavaliers want to use Love since his three-point shooting allows them to have more spacing on the floor. However, trading for a versatile center, such as DeMarcus Cousins, would make them a much better team. Cousins is a great rebounder with a decent inside game and he can also stretch the floor and make long-range shots.
Cousins has one more year left on his contract and he will be paid just under $18.1 million next season. The Cavaliers could trade their 2018 first-round pick to the New Orleans Pelicans for him, and this trade would benefit both sides. Cleveland would get a great superstar center who'd help them tremendously while the Pelicans could use the pick to add another great young start to the team.
Another option
Marc Gasol could be another great option for the Cleveland Cavaliers when it comes to a starting center. The 32-year-old center is a solid rebounder and a great scorer, but it would be hard to get him out of Memphis. Gasol has spent his entire NBA career playing for the Grizzlies and he has three more years left on his contract.
While Gasol is not as good as Cousins, he would be a great addition to the roster. On the other side, the Grizzlies could use the pick to potentially draft a player they could build around next decade.
