The Cleveland Cavaliers have easily won the offseason after getting both LeBron James and Kevin Love on the roster, but Dan Gilbert and company might not be done yet. A championship has suddenly fallen into reach after years of being in a playoff drought and another trade or two might guarantee them a spot in the NBA Finals. However, James is hoping that does not come at the expense of Dion Waiters.
With Andrew Wiggins in Minnesota now, Waiters is all-but guaranteed a starting spot for the Cavaliers. The young guard has proven capable of making an impact on the court, but that comes at a cost. Waiters has seen his name pop up in numerous trade rumors for the better part of a year. The New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors were both linked to possible deals during last year's mid-season deadline, but nothing was ever finalized.
According to Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer, James does not want a deal for Waiters done. The forward has apparently told Waiters that he wants him to remain in Cleveland and be prepared to play a long season.
"I'm still where I am, right?" Waiters said, via Philly.com. ""You can't listen to everything that's out there. I'd say 10 percent is always true. Ninety percent is not. I've been traded for three years now. I hate losing, and a guy like [James], who's probably the best player in the world right now, is someone I can learn from. I can grow. I still haven't reached my peak. Now with a guy like that, he can open up the floor for you and give you a lot of opportunities."
There is still a chance that the Cavaliers deal someone like Tristan Thompson. The forward saw some starting time last season, but with the presence of Love, that will no longer be the case. According to the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, the Cavaliers have toyed with the idea of trading Thompson, but have not reached out to any teams regarding a deal. Thompson will be a quality reserve off the bench and Cleveland would be smart to retain him.
With Love officially in Cleveland after an introductory press conference on Tuesday, James is telling everyone to prepare to play in June. The Cavaliers have shot to the top of the predicted Eastern Conference standings and the roster is ready to meet those expectations.