The last thing the Cleveland Cavaliers have assessed their roster needs is an elite big man to help under the basket and on defense. They have the point guard in Kyrie Irving. They have the scoring from LeBron James and Kevin Love. They have the veteran bench with Mike Miller and James Jones. The one thing the roster seems to lack is quality size. The Cavaliers have inquired about several deals before the season officially begins, but so far everything has been denied.
The Cavaliers were hoping to make one more blockbuster move before the team reported for training camp. According to Tyler Spence of Sports Talk and Evan Massey of InkOnIndy, the Cavaliers contacted the Indiana Pacers about a trade involving Roy Hibbert. Spence writes that following the Keith Bogan deal, the Cavaliers intended to try and get a trade done for Hibbert, offering Dion Waiters in return along with Brendan Haywood and a first-round draft pick.
Take this news with a grain of salt at the least. Hibbert rumors have been at an all-time high ever since Lance Stephenson did not re-sign and Paul George was injured. A number of NBA insiders were convinced that the Indiana Pacers would essentially sell the farm for the season with their two top scorers not on the court anymore. However, according to Steve Kyler of BasketballInsiders.com, the Pacers are not interested in dealing Hibbert for anyone at this point. The team recognizes that they cannot afford to lose the big man and while they want improvement from the center, they believe he is one of the best defensive players in the league and they intend to keep him around.
On Cleveland's end, Waiters has been on the trade blocks for what appears to be two years now. The shooting guard has certainly emerged as a real star in the league and Cleveland recognizes his value. He was originally mentioned in a deal with the New York Knicks last season. He was tossed into trade negotiations for Love and yet he has managed to survive them all. Now Waiters is predicted to be a starter for the Cavaliers, something James is thrilled about.
The Cavaliers are likely still looking for help in the size department, but the idea that they would make a last-minute blockbuster move seems unlikely. There are still a few names left on the free agent market they could take a chance on or they will rely on players like Tristan Thompson and Anderson Varejao to step up.