The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking for some trade support at the deadline for Kyrie Irving and LeBron James and names like Norris Cole, Arron Afflalo, Jose Calderon, Reggie Jackson and Tyler Ennis could be potential options for the team, as those players have come up as targets at the trading deadline and they could be moved if the Cavs pull the trigger on a deal.
The all-star break is coming up and that will give teams the time to see what they want to do at the deadline in just over a week. According to Cleveland.com, the Cavaliers are interested in adding another wing player who can also serve as a backup for Irving. The team has played very well of late and they are right back in the mix at the top of the eastern conference.
The report from Cleveland.com lists Norris Cole, Arron Afflalo, Jose Calderon and Tyler Ennis as potential targets along with Mo Williams, but he was just traded and is not an option anymore. Cole is an intriguing option, as he has previously played with LeBron James, has playoffs and NBA finals experience and right now he is not playing as much in Miami. The Heat have Shabazz Napier and Mario Chalmers as their main point guards and that has left Cole out of the rotation a bit.
Cole plays sound defense and can handle running the point when Kyrie is on the bench. The Pistons are reportedly interested in Cole as well, as they lost Brandon Jennings to a season ending injury. Cole is averaging six points per game this season, but he has played limited minutes over the past month after playing in all 82 games last season for the Heat.
Afflalo is also on the market, but he is likely not going to Cleveland because the Nuggets are demanding a high pick for him. According to Pro Basketball Talk, Afflalo has had attention from the Miami Heat, LA Clippers, Blazers and Kings, while the Bulls also could be in the mix. Afflalo is likely to get traded at the deadline, as the Nuggets have already moved Timofey Mozgov to the Cavaliers and they are looking like they will be having another losing season. The Suns with Tyler Ennis and the Knicks with Jose Calderon are also options on the market.
The Cavaliers are right there with the Chicago Bulls in the standings and they are second in the central division after making a great run the past month. The team won 12 in a row at one point and went from being one game under .500 to a record of 33-21 and now they push into the All-Star break. The team ends with a game against the Bulls and that gives them a chance to gain some ground in the division race.
The defense has improved greatly for the team over the last month and that has coincided with the addition of Timofey Mozgov. The team now is in the top half of the league in points allowed per game and they have played very well on offense, ranking ninth in scoring. Irving has been very impressive and Kevin Love is starting to get more involved as well. The Cavs now have the chance to make a nice run in the east over the second half of the season.
