If the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to dump off Luol Deng, they better hurry up as the trade deadline quickly approaches at the end of the day Thursday. The team was hoping Deng could be a center piece of the roster for many years to come after acquiring him from the Chicago Bulls. However, everyone is unhappy in Cleveland, leaving the Cavaliers to try and escalate a trade before they lose Deng for nothing in return.
According to Marc Stein of ESPN, the only team left in play for the two-time All-Star is the Washington Wizards. Most teams have soured on the idea of acquiring Deng in a trade 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 is prepared to test the market in free agency this summer whether he is traded or not.
The Wizards have been looking for an upgrade from Trevor Ariza. Washington was interested in Deng while he was still with the Chicago Bulls and remain interested in him at the deadline. Cleveland has already executed one Thursday, acquiring Spencer Hawes, proving they are willing to move just about anyone before the deadline is up.
The Wizards are in the Eastern Conference playoff hunt. They have a legit shot at the No. 3 seed if they can complete a second-half push. If not, the team's postseason prize could be meeting up with either the Miami Heat or Indiana Pacers in the playoffs, something they hope to avoid.
Deng could certainly help that effort. While his numbers have dipped since joining the Cavaliers, the forward is averaging 14.6 points on a 41 shooting percentage in 18 games. His low numbers will not hurt his trade value since everyone knows the offensive threat Deng has proven himself to be. The Cavaliers are not good and have no chemistry which could be causing the dip at this point in the season.
Cleveland knows Deng has no intentions of re-signing with the team. However, he reportedly has no intentions of re-signing with any team, willing to test the market for the best contract offer. That is not changing the Wizards interest in getting a deal done fast. However, two people not interested in any trade moves are John Wall and Bradley Beal. Both players believe the team is well set up for the future, but that likely will not play into the Wizards' decision.
"I haven't really talked to the front office people. If they feel like we need a piece, they'll make a move. But I like the group of guys I'm with," Wall said, viaMichael Lee of the Washington Post. "When we all play together as a team and we all connect, we're a tough team to beat. But when we're being selfish, we don't have one guy who can do that on a consistent basis."
