After 12 games of the 2017/18 NBA season, the Cleveland Cavaliers are 5-7 and they are one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference. While it is still too early in the season to make some serious predictions, the reality is that the Cavaliers aren't doing well and they may not be able to reach the NBA Finals. With LeBron James on the team, we can expect Cleveland to bounce back before November ends, but it might take much more for them to regain their status as the best team in the conference.
The Cavaliers have many issues with their team, but one of the biggest problems is their depth at a center position.
With Tristan Thompson out until at least the end of the month, Cleveland has no other good center on the roster. Even with Thompson, the Cavaliers struggled to play well, so it might be a good time to trade for a center. According to recent reports, the team is interested in Greg Monroe.
Greg Monroe to Cleveland?
Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com said his sources told him that the Cavaliers would have a higher interest in Greg Monroe than in Jahlil Okafor. Okafor, who is currently playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, is another big man who could help the Cavaliers, plus he is also on a trading block.
Greg Monroe is in a similar situation as he was recently traded to the Phoenix Suns. Both Okafor and Monroe are not happy with their teams and they would like to be moved somewhere else.
One of the reasons why Monroe signed with the Milwaukee Bucks was because he thought they could be competitive. However, the Bucks ended up trading him to the Suns, who are one of the worst teams in the NBA this season.
Vardon wrote that Monroe isn't a shot blocker, which is something the Cavaliers need. However, his scoring ability would help the team as they would benefit from a big man who can score consistently.
"The Cavs, though flawed, have a crowded rotation already, so pursuing Monroe in any way would probably follow or coincide with other roster changes,” writes Vardon.
The potential trade
Considering that Greg Monroe wants to play on a competitive team, the Cavaliers might be able to acquire him without giving up many valuable pieces.
The best-case scenario would be trading their bench players to the Suns for Monroe.
Monroe, who is averaging 14.0 points and 8.7 rebounds in his career, is on an expiring contract. There is no guarantee that he would stay with the Cavaliers after this season, which is another reason why they cannot trade anyone who is important to the team.
