The Cleveland Cavaliers’ struggles continue after another blowout loss at home to the Oklahoma City Thunder where they allowed 148 points. Cleveland’s lackluster defense has been a big result of its latest downfall. Their defense is ranked 29th in the league, which is very disappointing for a team that made it to the Finals last season.
As the trade deadline approaches, the Cavaliers have been actively searching for some defensive help.
They’ve already shown interest in a handful of players, which includes George Hill, DeAndre Jordan, Derrick Favors, and Lou Williams. They are prepared to offer a package consisting of Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith, and Brooklyn’s 2018 first-round pick. The combination of assets they offer will depend on which player they can attain.
Cavs showing interest Atlanta Hawks veteran swingman
The latest player the Cavaliers have expressed interested in is Hawks swingman, Kent Bazemore. The Hawks have been shopping multiple players in search of draft picks, so they may be intrigued in discussing a deal with the Cavaliers.
However, while Atlanta has reportedly only tested the market for Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova, they wouldn’t mind trading Bazemore.
Which player should the Cavaliers pursue?
Out of all the players, Cavaliers are showing interest in, DeAndre Jordan may be the most plausible option for them. He gives them exactly what they need, which is a rim protector who rebounds at a very high rate. Cleveland has no shot blocking in the paint whatsoever, as Kevin Love is merely a liability on defense.
Recently, it was reported that Cleveland’s star players also complained about Isaiah Thomas’ defense. If that’s the case, the Cavaliers must acquire a player who can be an excellent secondary defender, which would offset Thomas’ poor perimeter defense.
The Cavaliers are obviously lost and desperate. While they are a top-three team in the Eastern Conference, they are playing nowhere near the level they were last season. Perhaps Kyrie Irving’s departure has affected the team more than expected. Perhaps they are too old. The end result is that they are not producing wins, which force LeBron James to leave during free agency.
Bazemore is probably a solid option for them, but he may not make an immediate impact like Jordan would. It all depends on what the Cavs are willing to offer.
It remains to be seen who the Cavaliers will be able to obtain, but they will certainly be the biggest buyers ahead of the February 8th trade deadline.