The Cleveland Cavaliers were at a crossroads even before it became public knowledge that Kyrie Irving wants out of town. They have very little financial flexibility to improve the roster, as an enormous luxury tax bill is already a harsh reality. They were unable to upgrade Kevin Love into a more complete superstar such as Jimmy Butler or Paul George earlier in the off season. With so few avenues for improvement it seems like the Cavs either must stand pat with largely the same roster that was convincingly beaten by the Warriors in last year’s finals, a proposition that is even uglier now that Irving is unhappy with his role on the team, or they can appease Irving and try to find a trade that increases their championship chances with one of the four teams on his wish list. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find a trade with those teams that is beneficial for the Cavs.
Fortunately, there is a third option that very few people are talking about right now probably since pulling the trigger would be unimaginable. It is presumed that the Cavs would not be crazy enough to even consider such a drastic action, but in reality any executive that does not consider all viable options is doing himself and his team a disservice.
Option three: Trade LeBron James.
I know, I know this probably will never even come close to fruition and does seems ludicrous on the surface, but when you consider the ramifications of such a deal more closely moving James could make more sense for the Cavs than most fans realize. First, the reasons why this trade is likely never to come close to reality must be addressed.
– Soon to be new GM Koby Altman would have to possess balls the size of grande meatballs to make his first business as lead dog a James trade. For many fans, James transcends the franchise as the prodigal son who returned home to give Cleveland its first championship of any kind in over half a century. Needless to say the public relations hit the front offense would take from fans would be immense and if players/picks they received in return flopped it could go down as one of the worst trades in league history.
– LeBron is the best player in the league and players of his talent understandably never get traded. Having him on your roster has been akin to a free pass to the NBA finals for the past 7 years. Even if the Cavs know that they are miles behind the Warriors, it still is difficult to pull the trigger on a trade that moves on from the best player on a conference champion team.
– It is highly unlikely there will be a return trip for the King this time as the trade would look like the Cavs chose Irving over James alienating the King from his now former team. James has done more than anyone for the franchise and this would be an unfortunate side of the deal. Plus James has already decided not to waive his no trade clause and even broaching the topic could be awkward especially if James refuses to do so.
However, reasons for pulling the trigger remain as numerous and strong; lets look at them.
– LeBron, while he is showing no signs of slowing down so far, is still 32, seven years Irving’s senior. It is safe to say that James’ best days are behind him while Irving’s likely still lie in the future. Irving boasts immense potential to evolve into an even brighter star given that the biggest gripe many fans have with him is his lack of effort defensively. Per basketball reference Irving has a -1.5 Defensive Box/plus minus meaning his defense is accountable for 1.5 points more scored by the opposing team in 100 possessions. However, in the playoffs Irving morphs into a league average defender with a DPM of -0.2.
– Moving James would appease Irving and show lots of faith in and loyalty to him. Irving can continue to get better and become a top 10 player in the league, Irving will almost certainly re-sign with the team in two years with a fire under his ass to prove the team right for rolling the dice on him. By cashing in on LeBron now and making such a drastic effort to make Irving happy, the Cavs greatly mitigate the risk of losing one or both for nothing.
– Without James, the Cavs been one of the worst in the league over the past three seasons boasting a horrific 4-22 record, which may sound like a case for locking him in the Quicken Loans Arena and throwing the key away at first glance. However, upon careful examination, the Cavs must accept the fact that James is a free agent next off season and could easily bolt for greener pastures if the Cavs are stymied by the Warriors again or even the revamped Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals. Losing James for nothing would be devastating for the Cavs as their future outlook would be one of the bleakest in the entire league with many of their assets traded away and a barren roster few reliable role players some of whom will likely bolt to play for another contender (like Kyle Korver). The Cavs currently boast the oldest roster in league at 30, so their would be little left to start a rebuild with if James bolts. Given all the drama in Cleveland right now, keeping James around and crossing their fingers sound like a very risky option for the Cavs.
– The return the Cavs could receive in a James trade would greatly amass the bounty from an Irving trade and the interested parties would have more desirable assets for the Cavs needs. I see the Celtics and Lakers as potential destinations that James would waive his no trade clause to join since doing so would give him a much better chance to compete with the Warriors. In a Celtics trade, Boston would want to keep its big three of Hayward, Thomas and James intact but would likely be willing to surrender a package of next year’s Brooklyn pick, Jae Crowder, Al Horford and Jaylen Brown for James and Channing Fyre. From the Lakers, the Cavs could pursue a package of Brandon Ingram, Luol Deng, Julius Randle and a future pick. Realistically, a three-team deal may be more feasible.
While such a trade would drastically change this season’s outlook from Eastern Conference front runner to a rebuilding squad management must seriously consider how likely it is this version of the Cavs can win another ‘ship in the era of the Warriors and if the core will even be around long enough for more than one more try. Trading James would begin a rebuild for the team, albeit a short one with an above average outlook. Without it, the risks a cold, harsh, asset-less future and a rebuild that could be four times as long.
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