When it comes to the 2024 NBA offseason, the Cleveland Cavaliers have already hit a veritable jackpot.
After months and months of speculation regarding the future of Donovan Mitchell in the Forest City, the five-time All-Star re-upped with the team on a three-year, $150.3 million extension to remain with the team until 2028, should he choose to pick up his player option for the 2027-28 season. Unless something really unusual happens, Mitchell won't be asking for a trade any time soon, and as a result, President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman can finally focus on upgrading the team he has instead of building out contingencies for the future.
Goal number one? Add a perimeter wing player to compete with the Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Browns, and Paul Georges of the Eastern Conference.
Now granted, the Cavs did attempt to do just that in the 2024 NBA draft, selecting 6-foot-7 Cal wing Jaylon Tyson and 6-foot-5 UConn guard Tristen Newton at picks 20 and 49, respectively, but unless one of those players can make an impact, it's hard to see how Cleveland is better today than they were two months ago at the most in-demand position in basketball.
Fortunately, there is still one All-Star forward available who could fill the Cavaliers' needs in 2024-25 and beyond and is very much available via a sign-and-trade: Brandon Ingram.
Brandon Ingram fits the Cavaliers' wing needs
Initially drafted second-overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016, Ingram really came into his own after being traded to New Orleans as the focal point of the Anthony Davis trade back in 2019 alongside Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart. Locked in as a hybrid forward next to one of the more unique players in the NBA in Zion Williamson, Ingram saw his points, rebounds, steals, and even assists increase outside of the then-Staples Center, winning Most Improved Player for his efforts alongside his at-this-point-lone All-Star appearance in 2020.
Since that certified breakout season in 2020, Ingram has slowly but surely established himself as a legitimate 23.1 points-per-game scorer, leading the Pelicans in shots per game in three of the last five seasons while appearing in an average of 57.4 games per season.
Mind you, Ingram is coming off of a very disappointing playoff series against the OKC Thunder, where he averaged just 14.3 points over 36.3 minutes per game, performances that played a large part in his likely exit from New Orleans, but he's amassed a strong enough resume for teams to more or less know what he is at this point in his career and just how good he can be moving forward.
Considering the Pelicans' best wing player in 2023-24 was either Isaac Okoro or Caris LeVert, a pair of one-way players who each have their warts, placing Ingram on the Cavs would instantly make the team a more balanced squad heading into the fall, even if they have to move off of one of their top four players to make it happen.
The Cavaliers don't want to break up their core, but should
After watching the Cavs field a lopsided roster built around a pair of ball-dominant guards and two natural centers, many fans have wanted to see Cleveland shake up their roster in favor of a more balanced starting five, with center Jarrett Allen a logical trade target, considering his overlapping skillset with Evan Mobley.
And yet, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Cleveland wants to keep their core in tack, which is challenging, considering the Pelicans are really looking to add a center this summer after losing Jonas Valanciunas to the Washington Wizards and forward Naji Marshall to the Dallas Mavericks.
“Cleveland continues to be mentioned by league personnel as a possible alternative for Ingram, but there’s no straightforward path to making such a deal work with the Cavaliers. While Cleveland holds interest in Ingram and values his skillset, sources said, Cavs personnel have maintained a reluctance to breaking up the team’s core of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, as NBA figures continue preparing for Mitchell to sign a lucrative extension,” Jake Fischer wrote for Yahoo! Sports.
“Without parting with Allen, who’s long been on New Orleans’ radar, it’s difficult to find a path to bring Ingram to Northeast Ohio. (Another center the Pelicans had been eyeing, [Brooklyn] Nets big man Nic Claxton, is now committed to four more years at $100 million in Brooklyn.) Cleveland doesn’t want to part with Garland, either, sources said, even if his representation at Klutch Sports attempts to push his own trade.”
On paper, Cleveland is admirable in their desire to keep their top four players together, as they are all very good and could theoretically be traded in the future if their fit continues to be an issue or a top-tier talent becomes available. And yet, if a deal centered around role players and picks doesn't get a deal done, but one centered around Allen does, that option needs to be considered. In an Association where teams really can't have more than one non-shooter on the court at one time, selling on Allen when his value is at an all-time high, especially if it's a one-for-one swap or something very similar, has to be in consideration for the Cavs, if for no other reason than to prove to Mitchell that they are serious about fielding a winner well into the future.
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