The Cleveland Cavaliers have struggled throughout the 2017-18 NBA season. A lot of the problems can go back to the trade that sent Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics for a future draft pick and an injured Isaiah Thomas. That didn't turn out how the Cavs hoped, and it has hurt the team chemistry this season. The second problem is the LeBron James situation. He has a no-trade clause in his contract, so he isn't going anywhere. He refuses to waive the no-trade clause and if the Cavs don't do something before the NBA trade deadline on Thursday, they are not looking good enough to make it to the NBA Finals this season.

Here are four players the Cavaliers should consider trading in order to improve the chemistry in the locker room to make a championship push this season.

Tristan Thompson

The most obvious move that the Cleveland Cavaliers need to make before the NBA trade deadline is moving Tristan Thompson. The problem here is that they need to get someone big to replace him. When the season started, Kevin Love moved to center and Jae Crowder was the starting power forward. The team moved Tristan Thompson back to the starting center role and the team has been worse with him in that position. Thompson counts $16.4 million this season, $17.4 million next season and $18.5 million in 2019-20. That will hurt the team when it comes to rebuilding if LeBron James leaves, and that is a huge salary for someone averaging 5.8 points and six rebounds a game.

Isaiah Thomas

This is a move that would prove the entire Kyrie Irving trade was a mistake. There have been rumors that while Dan Gilbert’s relationship with LeBron James has deteriorated, he has been in constant contact with Thomas via text messaging. However, Thomas has not been the same since returning from injury. His average points per game this season is 14.9, a huge drop from his career average, and he is an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season.

Some insiders point to Thomas as the one true decisive force in the Cavs locker room and the Cavaliers should move him for something they can control, or even another draft pick. The problem here is that the Cleveland Cavaliers need to trade for a new point guard by the NBA trade deadline, possibly someone like George Hill.

Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose was, at one time, an NBA MVP. However, he suffered an injury this season and left the team, acting like he was contemplating retirement. Rose has since returned, but leaving the team for an extended period is not something that the Cleveland Cavaliers need to keep the locker room united. Rose winning an NBA title after watching his career washout due to injuries could be a feel-good story, but he is one of the key examples of chemistry problems for the Cavs. Losing him would cause minimal problems, as the Cavs big winning streak in December was done without Rose (and Tristan Thompson).

Kevin Love

This would be a tough well for the Cleveland Cavaliers to make since Kevin Love is injured until right before the NBA playoffs.

But, if the Cavs could convince a younger team who is out of contention that Love could be the difference maker for them, Cleveland could pull in a nice draft pick in exchange at the NBA trade deadline. The one thing, and this ties into the Tristan Thompson trade as well is that the Cavs need to bring in someone that can help them defensively in the paint. Love is a huge loss, but rumors have the Cavs trading him if LeBron James leaves town and Love counts almost $50 million against the cap the next two seasons. This is a move that will help the Cavaliers move on after the season ends.
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