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Even though they lost two hard fought games during the play-in tournament, the Cleveland Cavaliers still made a ton of progress this season. The fact that their season ended at the play-in tournament is a win in itself. Under J.B. Bickerstaff the Cavs vastly improved their play on both ends of the court and saw a 22-win increase from last season.
Add to that the continued growth and development of exciting young talents Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley and Cleveland is set for long-term success. As they inch closer to postseason contention, the Cavaliers will aim to build on their progress from this year and make a series of personnel changes. Let's now discuss three trades the Cavs must make during the 2022 NBA offseason.
Cavs Trades For The 2022 NBA Offseason
Find a trade partner for Collin Sexton
Although Collin Sexton is set to be a restricted free agent this summer, it would be in Cleveland's best interest to match any offer he gets and find a partner for him. That way they can gain more assets instead of letting him walk away without getting anything in return. He's a promising young guard with a ton of upside to his game and would thrive playing for a team in need of backcourt depth. Sexton did miss the majority of the season after suffering a torn meniscus just 11 games in.
Still just 23 years old and averaging 24.3 points per game, Sexton is a valuable trade chip for the Cavs. Regardless of what they'd be able to get in any trade scenario involving Sexton, it's safe to say that his time in Cleveland may be coming to an end. Moving Sexton will also pave the way for Garland to be their point guard of the future.
Trade Kevin Love to shed salary
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With 10 players under contract for next season, the Cavs don't have much cap flexibility to work with. One way to fix this would be trading veteran forward Kevin Love. Next season Love is set to make $28.9 million, and if the Cavaliers trade him this would shed a ton of salary and allow them to add a few high impact players at mid-cost. Despite being a finalist for the 2022 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award, Love would be better off utilizing his skillsets on a title contender.
Love's three-point shooting, rebounding, and passing abilities have made him a household name in the NBA. However, his salary is far too demanding for what he brings to the table at this point in his career. It may be challenging for the Cavaliers to find a team willing take on his hefty contract, but at the same time Love's skillsets could make him a valuable trade chip in the offseason.
Bring LeBron James back to The Land
In spite of a disappointing campaign for the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James still had one of the greatest individual seasons in NBA history. Further cementing his place amongst the greatest players of all-time, King James became the first player ever to be top-1o in scoring, assists, and rebounding. Bringing LeBron back home to Cleveland to finish out his playing career would be the ultimate feel good story.
With a deep roster that's loaded with young talent, James wouldn't have to play big minutes on a nightly basis. James may even find himself thriving in a bench role this time around. There's no denying that he can still play at high level and greatly impact the game on both ends of the floor. Plus last time LeBron was in Cleveland they made the NBA Finals.
