Cavaliers Could Trade At Least One Of Clarkson, Dellavedova, Henson, Knight & Thompson During 2019-20 Season
Despite finishing the 2018-19 NBA season as one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers made it clear to everyone in the league that they have no intention of moving All-Star power forward Kevin Love in the 2019 NBA offseason. Though he’s yet to live up to expectations from the massive contract he signed last summer, the Cavaliers still see Love as the player who could lead them back to title contention.
However, though Kevin Love is currently unavailable on the trade market, the Cavaliers are still expected to make plenty of roster moves this summer and during the 2019-20 NBA season. According to Joe Vardon of The Athletic, the Cavaliers will consider trading at least one of their five expiring contracts before the next year’s February NBA trade deadline. These include Tristan Thompson, Jordan Clarkson, Matthew Dellavedova, John Henson, and Brandon Knight.
“The Cavs have no fewer than five players entering the final years of their contracts (Thompson, Clarkson, Delly, Henson, and Knight),” Vardon wrote, according to Cavaliers Nation. “One or more will be traded at some point during the season. Also, this team was among the top three in the NBA in man games lost to injury last year, in part because of the organization’s desire to pick near the top of the draft. So if things go south, a similar plan might follow, which would mean an amoeba-like starting five and rotation.”
Cleveland @cavs forward @RealTristan13 at the @NBASummerLeague! #NBASummer pic.twitter.com/9a6l7F8vbg
— NBA (@NBA) July 5, 2019
With Kevin Love on their roster, the Cavaliers will likely try to compete for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference in the 2019-20 NBA season. However, if they suffer another huge disappointment and miss the postseason for the second straight year, it makes a lot of sense for the Cavaliers to trade their players who are in the final year of their contract before the next year’s February NBA trade deadline than losing them in the summer of 2020 as an unrestricted free agent without getting anything in return.
Tristan Thompson, Jordan Clarkson, Matthew Dellavedova, John Henson, and Brandon Knight may not be All-Star caliber players, but they could still give the Cavaliers a nice return. Once they become available on the trade market, several NBA teams who want to strengthen their chance of contending for the NBA championship title while preserving their salary cap space for the 2020 NBA free agency are expected to make a call to the Cavaliers. Thompson and Henson could help teams in need of a frontcourt boost, while Clarkson, Dellavedova, and Knight could be great additions to teams with a shallow backcourt depth.
