With nearly ten days to go until the annual NBA Trade Deadline, there’s a lot of smoke but not a ton of fire for the Cleveland Cavaliers. A lot of that fire was smothered when it became universally known that the Cavs aren’t entertaining trade offers for Donovan Mitchell. Jarrett Allen has also been mentioned as an option for some teams, notably the New Orleans Pelicans. But, sources share with ClutchPoints that Allen, like Mitchell, isn’t available at this time, with the team preferring to keep their core nucleus together.
So, Cleveland won’t be star-shopping this trade deadline, nor will they look to move on from key roleplayers like Max Strus, Isaac Okoro, or Caris LeVert unless the offer makes them substantially better.
Instead, the Cavs will likely look to improve the margins, adding depth at key positions to help them come playoff time. According to Yahoo Sports NBA Insider Jake Fischer, one of those positions is backup point guard, especially after the departure of Ricky Rubio from Cleveland.
“Keep an eye on Cleveland sniffing around for reserve guards, sources said, after buying out Ricky Rubio,” Fischer wrote.
While it’s a brief footnote in Fischer’s latest intel dump onto the internet, the fact that the Cavs are considering adding another guard to their roster is puzzling. Does Cleveland need another veteran point guard to replace Rubio, who hasn’t played a second for the Cavs this season before retiring from the NBA?
On paper, having an extra backup point guard outside of undrafted rookie Craig Porter Jr., who is currently on a two-way contract while Darius Garland has been sidelined, would be nice for Cleveland. But Donovan Mitchell stepped up, averaging 27.8 points, 6.9 assists, and 5.6 rebounds in 35.5 minutes per game, guiding the Cavs to a 15-3 record in that span as the team’s lead point guard.
Mitchell has been thriving at the point for Cleveland, and having Caris LeVert, who has averaged 16.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 26.9 minutes per game behind him in this Garland-less stretch, the Cavs don’t seem to have that pressing of a need for another lead ballhandler.
Again, it might’ve been nice to have for Cleveland’s socialistic basketball identity with strength in numbers. But with Garland inching closer to returning to the floor, the need for another guard to replace Rubio’s presence seems like a moot point for the Cavs.
Unless it’s purely from the desire to have a veteran, especially with Tristan Thompson unavailable until mid-March due to suspension, the desire for another point guard makes a bit more sense.
This is a young Cleveland team trying to find their footing and prove they belong among the Eastern Conference’s elite and having an adult in the room can help keep them steady. But finding a player in that vein shouldn’t be something the Cavs give up assets for, especially when they have so few to use in a trade.
Instead, that’s where the buyout market comes into play once the trade deadline has passed and Cleveland better understands the roster spots they have available.
Perhaps it’ll be former Cavs swingman Joe Harris, who, unless his $19.9 contract is moved, seems like a buyout candidate with the hapless Detroit Pistons. If Cleveland wants a true veteran point guard then maybe Kyle Lowry could be an option if the Charlotte Hornets cannot find him a new home after acquiring him from the Miami Heat.
Either way, there are options available for the Cavs that could keep the vibes fresh as Cleveland marches toward the postseason. But, until then, the smokescreen will only get thicker until the trade deadline passes. But if there continues to be smoke about getting a backup point guard, hopefully, there’s no fire to it for the Cavs.
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