The Cleveland Cavaliers are not a finished product yet. There are a few reasons for this that involve the makeup of their current roster, whether it be the players who would be in their rotation but are not due to injuries, or whether it be because a guy like Isaiah Thomas is working to get into game shape.
Beyond that, there’s always the possibility the team makes a move. That could be something that involves a player or one of the draft picks in their possession, most notably the Brooklyn Nets’ first-round pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. There’s a whole laundry list of reasons why they should not move that pick, but if Cleveland wants to win a ring this year, it might have to.
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According to a report, one of the team’s assets is going to go out the door before the league’s trade deadline on February 8. While he did not specify what is moving, Marc Stein of the New York Times indicated that Cleveland is expected to do something in the coming weeks.
One trusted source pulled me aside at the @nbagleague Showcase last week in suburban Toronto and insisted that the Cavs will "definitely" swing at least one deal before the Feb. 8 trade deadline. But is there really one deal out there that closes this gap?
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 16, 2018
There’s plenty of room for interpretation on what this means. Does this mean that Cleveland is going to swing for the fences and try to make a massive move with the hopes of shifting the race for a title, or would they want to make a few smaller moves to build around whatever deficiencies they might believe their core of Thomas, LeBron James, and Kevin Love possesses?
Regardless, this report makes sense because it would be strange for the Cavaliers to stand firm. They’re third in the Eastern Conference and got swept in their season series against Golden State, including a 10-point home loss on Monday. Cleveland obviously shouldn’t blow it up, but between Stein’s report and just thinking logically, it makes sense that they’ll want to try to make some stuff happen in the coming weeks.
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