Cleveland Cavaliers Rumors: Lance Stephenson, Mario Chalmers Coming To Cavs?
Cleveland Cavaliers rumors have the team linked to Lance Stephenson and Mario Chalmers, who are both free agents that could sign soon. Both guys have worked out for the team, as the front office continues to work on adding a playmaker to help out LeBron James. A report by NBC Sports has confirmed that James is fine playing with either of them, in addition to several other players who have been working out for the team. Those players include Jordan Farmar and Kirk Hinrich, who are two points guards that could come off the bench for the Cavs.
“I got a history with all those guys except Jordan. I got a history with Lance too, obviously. I got a history versus Kirk. I played him in a lot of playoff series. And I got a history with Rio [Chalmers]. … At the end of the day, Rio is recovering from his Achilles tear. I hope he’s been doing everything he needs to do just to get back on the floor. He loves to play the game.”
It is expected that either Lance Stephenson or Mario Chalmers could be signed at the veteran minimum, keeping the costs down on a possible acquisition before the NBA trade deadline. The front office hasn’t given up trying to acquire one through a trade either. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the Cavaliers have made overtures to the Dallas Mavericks in an attempt to land point guard Deron Williams. He could give the second unit of the Cavs an immediate boost, providing the team with a lot of depth at the point guard position.
With a victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night (Feb. 1), the Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 33-15 on the season. The Boston Celtics also beat the Toronto Raptors, keeping the Celtics as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland now has a two-and-a-half-game lead over the Celtics and a four-game lead over the Raptors in the East. The divisional lead is currently seven games over the Indiana Pacers.
Though the Cavs have done well against the East this season (21-6), the team has struggled against the Central Division. The Cavs are just 3-5 against the Central, with an 18-1 record against the other two Eastern division. The team has also struggled on the road, posting an 11-10 record away from Cleveland. This all shows that there is a lot of room for improvement if the team wants to repeat as NBA champions. The next game for the Cavaliers comes on Saturday (Feb. 4) against the New York Knicks.
Working back to the players coming up in the latest Cleveland Cavaliers rumors, the team could immediately sign either Lance Stephenson or Mario Chalmers at any point. Stephenson was with the New Orleans Pelicans earlier this season, appearing in six games before getting waived. In 27 minutes a night, he averaged 9.7 points, 4.8 assists, and 3.0 rebounds per game.
Chalmers was with the Memphis Grizzlies last year, playing in 55 games for the team after they traded the Miami Heat for him. He averaged 22.8 minutes, 10.8 points, 3.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. Known for his defense, Chalmers could bring an additional defender to the Cavs. His familiarity with LeBron James comes from when both played for the Miami Heat, where Chalmers averaged 8.8 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals over 525 games.
This is where the front office in Cleveland has to decide whether it wants to settle on a player in free agency that has been passed up by other NBA teams or if they need to focus on making a deal before the February 23 NBA trade deadline. It could be difficult to pull off a trade without giving up a core player, with teams like the New York Knicks continuously calling about the availability of Kevin Love. Signing a player like Stephenson or Chalmers could be easier than trade negotiations, making these Cleveland Cavaliers rumors very likely to lead to immediate action.
[Featured Image by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images]
