Ryan Anderson's stock is high. Heading into Thursday's trade deadline, the New Orleans Pelicans are fielding a lot of offers for the forward who is set to be a free agent in the upcoming summer. The Pelicans were hesitant to move Anderson earlier in the season, but now with interest growing, New Orleans is answering calls from teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers.
According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports, the Cavaliers are seeking a deal to acquire Anderson that would give the team options in smaller lineups. The Cavaliers have been favoring that lately convinced it will help them compete with the likes of Golden State and San Antonio. Pairing Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson together has been used more than having Timofey Mozgov around. That has caused the interest in Anderson, but what would Cleveland give up in exchange?
According to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, a Kevin Love blockbuster deal is an option. To be clear, the Cavaliers have made it clear that Love is not getting traded in the middle of the season, but Isola believes there is still a chance. According to Isola, the Cavaliers could look to get a third team involved in the trade while offering Love in the deal. Do not bet on this happening. Love is more likely to stay on for the season and then get traded if things do not end well. But anything is always possible at the deadline.
The Cavaliers are not the only team looking at Anderson. According to Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times, the Clippers are exploring options to acquire the forward. The issue is that the Clippers do not have a first-round pick that can be traded until 2019. The Pelicans might not bite. The Clippers certainly have the roster assets in players like Lance Stephenson and Jamal Crawford, but without a draft pick they might not move.
The Portland Trail Blazers are another potential landing spot for Anderson. The team was interested in Tobias Harris, but with that trade dead, Anderson becomes a target. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports the Trail Blazers are trying to get a forward to help stabilize their rotation as players like Meyers Leonard and Al-Farouq Aminu continue to struggle. General manager Neil Olshey is looking to continue building around Damian Lillard and Anderson could help in that effort.
