Cavs Still Pursuing Star Forward
The Cleveland Cavaliers weren’t able to make a trade on the day of the 2017 NBA Draft, but they have not given up their pursuit of another All-Star. Cleveland is still trying to acquire Paul George from the Indiana Pacers, and there are rumors that they could eventually land New York Knicks’ forward Carmelo Anthony.
The latest trade talks between Cleveland and Indiana also included the Denver Nuggets, according to ESPN. With the Pacers unwilling to do a straight up swap of George for Kevin Love, Cleveland has looked to get a third team involved in order to get a deal done.
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The proposed trade would have sent George to Cleveland, Love to Denver and a few younger players to Indiana. Kenneth Faried could end up with the Cavs if a trade eventually gets done. The Nuggets are reportedly willing to trade Wilson Chandler and Emmanuel Mudiay, as well, though a trade never came to fruition because Denver doesn’t want to part with Jamal Murray, whom Indiana attempted to land.
After losing to the Golden State Warriors in five games in the 2017 NBA Finals, Cleveland understands that their current roster might not be good enough to compete with Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. LeBron James scored more than 30 points per game while averaging a triple-double, and Cleveland didn’t come close to upsetting the favored Warriors.
Could LeBron James and Paul George, pictured in Game 4 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on April 23, 2017 in Indianapolis, be teammates with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018? Photo: Getty Images
Adding George could help bridge the gap between themselves and Golden State, at least somewhat. He’d give the Cavs one of the league’s best defensive forwards to guard Durant, and he made nearly 40 percent of his three-point attempts last season.
The price tag for George isn’t nearly as high as it was a few weeks ago. Indiana appears determined to trade their best player ever since he made it known that he doesn’t intend to re-sign with the team in 2018 when he becomes a free agent. George is expected to seek a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, but Cleveland believes they can convince George to stay with the team if they win a championship.
Even if the Cavs trade for George, they might not be done bolstering their roster. With the Knicks having trouble in their attempts to trade Anthony, there is speculation that the two sides could agree on a buyout this offseason. Cleveland would probably be considered the favorite to sign Anthony if he became a free agent.
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Cleveland’s pursuit of one All-Star officially came to an end on draft day. The Cavs had been trying to pull off a trade with the Chicago Bulls for Jimmy Butler, but the team instead sent him to the Minnesota Timberwolves for young players and draft picks, which Cleveland has been unable to offer.
Chicago’s trade has led some to believe that Dwyane Wade could become an option for Cleveland at some point this summer. He opted into his contract worth nearly $24 million for next season, but Chicago seems to have little use for him now that Butler is gone and they are rebuilding. Like Anthony, Wade is a candidate for a potential buyout.
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