The Cavaliers are going to be one of the most fascinating teams to watch this summer, largely because the future of the franchise is in the hands of LeBron James (as it has been since 2003) and his decision to stay or leave Cleveland will determine whether they remain an Eastern Conference contender.
The problem for Cleveland is they have no idea what James is going to do, because all indications as of now are that LeBron himself isn’t sure of his impending decision. The one thing we’re confident of is that he’ll turn down his player option for next year by the June 29 deadline (although there is the ever-so-slight possibility he doesn’t like his options this summer and will ride it out one more year). However come July, everything is up in the air.
So, the Cavs enter the 2018 NBA Draft on Thursday with the No. 8 overall pick and confusion about whether to use it to add a young player that they would desperately need if James leaves, or to trade it away in hopes of landing a strong veteran player to keep LeBron interested.
According to Cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon, they are exploring all of the possible trade options with the eighth pick, taking calls constantly from those looking to move up into the lottery. Vardon also notes that the Cavs have had conversations (the seriousness of them is unknown) regarding possible trades to land Kawhi Leonard and/or Kemba Walker.
They are taking calls from teams looking to move up in the draft via trade, and are seeking proven NBA vets whose presence would both improve the roster and be enticing to James.
Cleveland has in fact inquired about Kawhi Leonard’s availability from the Spurs, among others, and league sources suggested Charlotte’s Kemba Walker could be in play for the Cavs.
Walker to the Cavs was a rumor that gained steam as we approached the February trade deadline, as Charlotte has some large contracts they’re in need of shedding and Cleveland clearly has a need at point guard and salaries they can use to match and take on some longer term money. Nic Batum, Marvin Williams, and Dwight Howard all could be players the Hornets look to move for cap flexibility in a package with Walker, who is scheduled to make only $12 million next season.
Leonard, of course, just hit the trade market in earnest after reportedly requesting a trade out of San Antonio. The Cavs can offer an intriguing package with Kevin Love and the No. 8 pick that would provide both immediate help for the Spurs as well as a future piece to continue building with, as they have an emerging young core.
It would be fairly surprising for Cleveland to make it to July 1 without making some kind of deal given the need to update their roster whether LeBron stays or leaves. Whether it’s before, during, or after the draft seems to be the bigger question.
