The Cleveland Cavaliers remain the team to beat in the Central Division, despite their shaky start in the season. Still, the rise of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Detroit Pistons have cast a cloud of doubt over the Cavs’ ability to win the division they dominated for the last three years. On the other hand, Indiana Pacers and the Chicago Bulls have had their moments during the first four weeks of their rebuild, but there’s no denying the departure of All-Star wingers Paul George and Jimmy Butler have put them in tough positions to compete consistently.

With the start of trade season (Dec.15 when all players signed in July becomes trade-eligible) just around the corner, these five Central Division teams are all set to make some noise on the trading front. The Cavs are looking to address their thinning frontline and playmaking problems, while the Bucks are searching for someone who can fill the spot left void by Greg Monroe on the second unit. The Pistons are still in need of a scorer off the bench, and the Pacers and Bulls are gauging the market with the hope of landing a promising young player.

Here are the best deals or trades worth exploring for these teams.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Move Iman Shumpert and Channing Frye for a high-impact player. The Cavaliers are bombarded with a multitude of problems on their roster: Aging stars, injured key players, and defensive lapses.

However, the biggest issue out there for the reigning Eastern Conference champions is a lackluster supporting cast.

With Kyrie Irving now in Boston and Isaiah Thomas still sitting on the bench because of injury, LeBron James has turned into a one-man wrecking machine on both ends. It’s an alarming issue for the Cavs to see their best player exerting full effort this early in their campaign.

Finding him another All-Star caliber sidekick is impossible at this point of the season, but the Cavs can get a high-impact role player (Will Barton, Trevor Booker, or Greg Monroe) using Shumpert and Frye’s expiring deal as trade baits.

Milwaukee Bucks

Get Jahlil Okafor or Kyle O’Quinn at a bargain price. The Bucks are 4-0 since trading for point guard Eric Bledsoe.

However, that won’t change the fact that they need to add frontcourt depth on their second unit. Okafor and O’Quinn are reasonable targets because the Bucks could salvage either one of them with a second round pick. O’Quinn is a low-maintenance, high-character role player while Okafor is somewhat of a project they can still develop.

Detroit Pistons

Aim for a reunion with Greg Monroe, if he is bought out. The Suns are clearly looking for ways to cut ties with Monroe without compromising their payroll, and a buyout is the most logical method to do it. Should Monroe get a buyout, expect multiple teams lining up for the big man. The Pistons, the team that drafted Monroe, are obvious suitors because of their need for a productive backup player behind starter Andre Drummond.

Monroe just racked up 20 points and 11 boards in his Suns’ debut against the Houston Rockets, proving that he can make an impact in a limited role.

Indiana Pacers

Shop Al Jefferson. It’s going to be a tough job selling Jefferson to other teams given his limited role on a young team and decorated history with injuries. However, it has become very clear that he’s no longer a part of the Pacers’ future plan and that $9 million salary is clearly hurting the team financially. Pairing him with a future pick (second rounder) may pique the interest of teams on a rebuild.

Chicago Bulls

Sell Nikola Mirotic hard or trade Bobby Portis for a point guard of the future. The Bulls’ rebuilding phase was off to a bad start following a punching incident that sent Mirotic to the hospital with a broken jaw and left Portis suspended for eight games.

According to reports by ESPN, Mirotic has already begun training with the team but he doesn’t seem inclined to bury the hatchet with Portis for the sake of the team.

The Bulls clearly want Portis to stay because of his upside, but Mirotic contract forbids the team from trading him until mid-January. Chicago could either wait until Mirotic becomes trade-eligible or find a taker for Portis with the hope of getting a nice point guard prospect since their backcourt is riddled with incapable playmakers.
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