Remember when the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired Luol Deng in a trade with the Chicago Bulls and the team had such high hopes for the what the two-time All-Star could do for them in the short-term and long-term? Dan Gilbert praised the forwards abilities, confident they would re-sign him in free agency. However, the Cavaliers' season continues to spiral and Deng wants out either by trade or free agency. Cleveland is hoping by trade.
According to ESPN.com, Deng is officially available to any team. However, there is a small snag in any potential deal. Deng is preparing to enter free agency this summer and wants a nice pay raise. That is the reason he had a falling out with the Chicago Bulls after the two sides failed to negotiate an extension last year. He is looking for a big deal and will test the market whether he is traded or not. This has plenty of teams backing off before the deadline.
Any team interested in Deng has to be understanding to the fact that he is likely just a rental. That means they would be giving up either draft picks or young assets for a player that is not invested in the long-term future of a franchise. While Deng could help someone win now, he might not want to help win later.
Deng's numbers have slipped since being in Cleveland, but that likely will not factor in to his trade value considering what an offensive threat he was in Chicago. Right now the forward is averaging 14.6 points on a 41 shooting percentage in 18 games with Cleveland. The Cavaliers know Deng does not want to re-sign with the team this summer and are trying to trade off his expiring contract, but so far teams are not biting.
The Cavaliers are trying to get multiple players before the trade deadline and could try and use Deng as bait. The Dallas Mavericks and Detroit Pistons have expressed interest in the small forward, but have not offered up negotiations. Cleveland wants Harrison Barnes in a trade, but the Warriors do not want Deng.
At this point, all signs point towards Deng remaining in Cleveland throughout the season and heading elsewhere in free agency. The Mavericks interest in the forward will continue until the summer and could be a landing spot for Deng. Dallas is clearing cap space for a big run on marquee players. The Lakers could also be an option for the right price.
