All indications are that the Cleveland Cavaliers will be quite active in the trade market and, before the calendar turns to February, the team that employs LeBron James has been linked to both George Hill and DeAndre Jordan in potential deals. On Friday evening, those whispers were once again revived, as Marc Stein of the New York Times indicated that Cleveland could be targeting both players in separate deals.
It remains to be seen if the Cavs have the assets to acquire one or both of their top targets, but league sources say they are in active pursuit of both. @ShamsCharania first reported Cleveland’s interest in Hill.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 20, 2018
Stein wasn’t done there, though, as he brought another intriguing name to the table in association with the Cavs and that potential target is Clippers guard Lou Williams.
The Cavaliers have allso registered trade interest in the Clippers’ Lou Williams, according to league sources, with Cleveland vets such as Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith featuring in various trade proposals.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 20, 2018
Later, David Aldridge of NBA.com confirmed interest and even indicated that Los Angeles is shooting for the stars with a request for Brooklyn’s first round pick that is currently owned by Cleveland.
Cavs definitely have asked about @TeamLou23, as @TheSteinLine reported. But told this week that talks so far have stalled on Clips’ request 4 Brooklyn pick.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) January 20, 2018
Williams has been vital to the recent uptick from the Clippers, as the veteran averaged 25.3 points over 14 games in December before jumping to an absurd 30.0 points per game through the first nine contests of January. Of course, there is probably some level of regression coming for a player in his age-31 season after jumping to the NBA straight from high school, but Williams has been tremendous this season and would fit the mold as a secondary option next to James.
Another layer to the Williams buzz is also the ongoing contract extension negotiations, as his $7 million deal expires this summer and he’ll be up for unrestricted free agency, though it is important to note that a deal wouldn’t necessarily move him off the market entirely.
Clips/Williams also still exploring extension, which would not preclude LAC nonetheless dealing him by deadline; he could be more attractive to other teams on a reasonable multi-year deal (potential cost certainty in ’18, ’19) than if he becomes UFA this summer.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) January 20, 2018
Much has been (rightly) made of Cleveland’s defensive issues, however, and Williams certainly would not help to stop the bleeding in that regard. If the Cavs were able to add both Jordan and an upgrade in the backcourt, though, the team could solidify its annual status as the team to beat in the East. With that said, these moves would be less intriguing through the prism of unseating the Golden State Warriors and, at this point, everything will be viewed through that lens.
