The Cleveland Cavaliers could be active at the trade deadline this season, as players like Markieff Morris, Kevin Martin, Channing Frye and Jamal Crawford could be potential targets for the team. The Cavs have reportedly been getting calls about Timofey Mozgov, while players like Mo Williams and Anderson Varejao could be options to get moved.
The Cavaliers come into the trading deadline with trade exceptions that they made last year with the moves of Brendan Haywood and Mike Miller. Last season the Cavaliers made some important trades before the deadline by acquiring Iman Shumpert, Timofey Mozgov and JR Smith and those players helped the team make a run to the NBA finals. According to Cleveland.com, the Cavaliers may consider making moves again, as players like Mo Williams and Anderson Varejao could be expendable.
Reporters Chris Fedor, Michael Reghi and Bud Shaw spoke in a video on Cleveland.com about the prospects of the Cavaliers making trades and it comes as the Cavaliers are getting calls from teams about Timofey Mozgov. Marc Spears at Yahoo Sports reported last week that the Cavaliers are starting to have teams "inquire" about the availability of Mozgov at the deadline. Spears writes that the Cavs have "expressed no interest" in trading Mozgov at this time, but that some circumstances could change things as the deadline gets closer.
Mozgov has struggled at times this season and lost his starting job to Tristan Thompson, but sources said to Spears that the lineup change was about basketball and not about a potential trade. Spears writes that the team could consider trading Mozgov as the deadline gets closer, as the center is headed into free agency and is expected to get a sizeable contract based on his age and potential upside. The Cavs have a ton of money already locked up in players over the next few years, including over $100 million next year and if the team feels it won't be able to keep Mozgov on a new deal, they could try and trade him.
Anderson Varejao has also come up as a potential target, as the big man has been relegated to a bench role and could be expendable for the Cavs. According to Cleveland.com, Varejao has not requested a trade despite his new role with the team and he added that "I want to win a championship in Cleveland. That's where I want to stay. I love Cleveland." The Cavs could consider making a move if the right deal presents itself, but right now Varejao appears fine staying in Cleveland despite his small role.
The Cavaliers have players they can target on the trade market, as names like Markieff Morris, Kevin Martin, Channing Frye and Jamal Crawford are reportedly available. ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst writes that Morris is an unlikely option due to his personality issues and off the court issues, but that Martin or Frye could be a good fit as a bench/reserve player.
Check here for more on the Cavaliers and potential trade options.
