The Cleveland Cavaliers are in dire need of upgrades if they want to get a strong shot at winning the title this season. And based on recent trade rumors, the Cavaliers are reportedly interested in acquiring DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams.
According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, the Cavaliers want to acquire both Jordan and Williams from the Los Angeles Clippers. Cleveland is looking for a “dramatic reshaping” of their current roster in the hope of improving their title chances.
Can the Cavaliers strike a blockbuster deal before the deadline?
The Cavaliers have one of the strongest rosters in the league despite their recent struggles. However, it is no secret that most teams are not intrigued with their trade assets outside of the coveted Brooklyn Nets 2018 first-round pick.
The Cavaliers are not willing to trade the Brooklyn pick, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported. But if they want to acquire Jordan and Williams, they might need to finally give up the first-round pick, which they acquired in the Kyrie Irving deal.
According to Hoops Habit, the Cavaliers need to overpay if they want to get top talents before the Feb. 8 deadline. The Clippers have shown willingness to enter into big deals, but they are not expected to give up Jordan and Williams just for the sake of clearing cap space after the season.
One of the suggested packages will force the Cavaliers to send their Brooklyn pick to the Clippers along with Tristan Thompson, Channing Frye, and Cedi Osman. In turn, Cleveland will get both Jordan and Williams from Los Angeles.
Thompson and Frye should be included in the deal to match the salaries, while Osman is an attractive asset the Clippers would want because of his upside.
On the other hand, Williams and Jordan will give the Cavaliers their much-needed upgrade for their playoff push this season.
What will Jordan and Williams bring to the table for Cleveland?
The Cavaliers are eyeing a rematch with the Golden State Warriors, who defeated them twice in their two meetings this season. Bringing Jordan and Williams on will make things more interesting if the Cavaliers and the Warriors collide again in the 2018 NBA Finals.
Jordan, who is averaging 11.8 points and 14.9 rebounds this season, will bring the needed rim protection and will make Cleveland a better rebounding team. The veteran center could bring what Tristan Thompson is already giving the team but with better production on the offensive end of the floor. On the other hand, the Cavaliers will get an additional scoring punch from Williams, who is tallying 23.4 points per game this season. The 31-year-old can come off the bench as the main scoring option or replace JR Smith in the starting lineup if the latter fails to regain his shooting touch later in the season.