The Cleveland Cavaliers might own the top spot in the Eastern Conference, but they have lost twice now to the top team in the Western Conference which means they still have a long ways to go before the NBA Playoffs begin. The Cavaliers have a solid roster and one of the highest pay rolls in the league, but something is still missing on the court which could force trades to begin to take shape before the deadline.
LeBron James told ESPN.com that the Cavaliers cannot put everything together against the top teams in the league. Against the Warriors, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving continued to miss shots while James could not get a hand on Stephen Curry. James stressed that the Cavaliers still have a long ways to go before they can really compete against the best which might bring trades into the discussion.
"Against the top teams, you want to play well, and we haven't done that," James said, via ESPN.com. "We're 0-3 versus the top two teams in the West. We're 0-1 against the Bulls so far. We've got to play better basketball. We've got a long way to go."
While nothing is set in stone in terms of trades, Cleveland.com is reporting that "influential figures within the Cavaliers' locker room are open to the notion of trading for disgruntled Phoenix Suns power forward Markieff Morris." However, Cleveland.com is also reporting there is not official connection between the Cavaliers and the Suns in terms of negotiating for Morris, so fans should really take this all as speculation.
Right now, Morris wants a trade from Phoenix and the Suns would be wise to give it him before his value plummets. The forward is averaging 15 points and six rebounds on 47 percent shooting at the moment which would be an upgrade over some of the roster talent the Cavaliers are carrying, but it is unclear what it would take to get Morris in a deal. The trade could be worth the risk. Morris would be more than a one-season rental in Cleveland considering he still has three years on his contract. That might make a trade more enticing. However, if he does not play well then the Cavaliers are stuck trying to get rid of him at the end of the season.
Timofey Mozgov has been the name continuing to come up in trade talk for Cleveland. The center is not playing well coming off the bench in place of Tristan Thompson. According to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the Cavaliers are taking calls regarding Mozgov's availability with teams like the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans interested in striking up a trade. Mozgov is expected to be a free agent at the end of the season and will look to command a max contract. The Cavaliers are not expecting to be a team to offer him that, but can they afford to lose him mid-season? Mozgov brings needed size to the court while being a solid rim protector. He is critical against bigger lineups which could hurt the Cavaliers moving forward. He might not be worth giving up for Morris.
