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As of writing this post, it's obvious the one lacking piece to the Cavs core right now is a player down low... The Cavs have their leader and #1 option in Kyrie Irving... And they hopefully have another facilitator and secondary scoring option (#2 or #3) in Dion Waiters... Outside of that on the roster, there isn't any real players in the way of guys who can really get their own shot, do it well and do it at a high rate... While the Cavs have drafted Zeller and Thompson, they aren't players who will be built around but rather be built with... What the Cavs are lacking right now is that 3rd piece they can really build with..
So with that being said, insert the Utah Jazz... The Jazz are a perfect storm brewing for the Cavaliers and where they're at in their development... What the Cavaliers lack is what the Jazz have in excess of... And what the Jazz have in excess of will need to get moved... Here's what I'm referring to:
Looking around the NBA, there aren't many viable, young big men ready to step in and become a core piece... Actually let me rephrase that: there are few and far between... And those that could be considered for that role are either not available or far out of reach... With the Jazz, that isn't the case..
With the Jazz, there is no way Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap will be on this team next year... none.. Both could be gone but more than likely it'll be one or the other... The Jazz have too much invested in the development of Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors to pay both Jefferson and Millsap with how they'll likely be paid this off-season... Not to mention, Mo Williams will also be a free-agent and Marvin Williams could be looking for a new contract as well... So for a small-market team not in the championship run, they can't keep both Jefferson and Millsap...
That's where the Cavs need to step in and take advantage of this... The Jazz are in a position where they risk losing one of these players for nothing next off-season... The Cavs are also in a position where they need a low-post scorer to add to their core... And unless they get a top-5 pick, I'm having a hard time seeing where they're going to get that in the future... What is so great about the situation with the Jazz is that Jefferson and Millsap are both proven scorers who are entering their prime.... Meaning they still have plenty of time left and will likely accelerate the process of our development...
I've gone back and forth on who I'd prefer the Cavs to go after... I have to think that Jefferson will be easier to get from the Jazz since I think he'll likely command more money from the Jazz whereas Millsap would command less and might actually be the player who fits in better and would be a better value for the Jazz going forward... But I do think both of them will be available... Both of them have their strengths and weaknesses as a player and as a fit for this team going forward... Jefferson would slide in nicely to give this team a legit post threat and has experience shouldering the load... He and Thompson would compliment each other well in the frontcourt... Millsap on the other hand would force Thompson to the bench, which I'm not sure Grant would be high on doing with Thompson just in his 2nd year... But he provides a more versatile threat for the Cavs as opposed to Jefferson... On defense, Jefferson is a good rebounder and decent shot-blocker but I worry a bit about interior defense with Irving and Waiters as perimeter defenders... Meanwhile, I think Millsap is the better defender but doesn't have the size and length like Jefferson... Jefferson isn't a typical center but he has the size and length to be an effective new-wave center...
So my point of this is: the Cavs NEED to strike while the iron is hot... I'm not sure what type of deal it would take to pull this off with many different factors (Utah being in the playoff race but I'm sure they're cognizant of the fact they will lose one for nothing) but it's something that needs to be done in my eyes... Like I said, neither is a perfect player but the opportunity to get a good, young, offensive big to fit into your core for years at a good price doesn't come along often...
So with that being said, insert the Utah Jazz... The Jazz are a perfect storm brewing for the Cavaliers and where they're at in their development... What the Cavaliers lack is what the Jazz have in excess of... And what the Jazz have in excess of will need to get moved... Here's what I'm referring to:
As the NBA season gets under way, there are already names we know will come up when the February trade deadline approaches. At that point, we will start seeing trade rumors fill our Twitter timelines and RSS feeds.
When dealing with impending free agents, more and more teams are proactively shopping players early rather than running the risk of losing them to free agency.
Here's a look at some players who are priced to move:
Al Jefferson | C | 2013 UFA | 2012-13 salary: $15 million
Paul Millsap | PF | 2013 UFA | 2012-13 salary: $8.6 million
While the Utah Jazz aren't projected to be a taxpayer, as a small market team it has to exercise extreme caution and be more proactive in shaping its future. With two promising big men in Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter, it would not be prudent to lock into long-term, lucrative deals with players who play the same position, particularly with more than $35 million in projected cap space that could be used to address more glaring needs in the backcourt.
Millsap is the more versatile of the two; Utah's best producing plus-minus lineups feature Millsap at small forward. He is the face of the Jazz, a blue-collar worker who sets the tone in the locker room and has improved his skill level steadily since entering the league in 2006. High motor and good lateral mobility make him a good defender in the pick-and-roll. On the flip side, he is undersized as a power forward and a below-average defensive rebounder. Although a much-improved perimeter shooter, his range is still inconsistent at the 3-point line.
Jefferson
Jefferson is a bruising post presence with an array of exaggerated shot fakes and unorthodox shot release points around the rim, good footwork and touch. He is an outstanding defensive rebounder and decent shot-blocker, but that's where the praise ends for him on the defensive end. He is often slow on rotations and lacks awareness on the weak side. It also bears mentioning that although Jefferson has been the franchise player on his team for much of his eight-year career, he has been to the playoffs just twice. For a guy looking to get paid as a franchise player, winning has to factor into the price tag.
Both players are looking to be paid handsomely, particularly Millsap, who can legitimately claim to be one of the few players who have been underpaid on two contracts. If Utah had to choose one to keep, it would probably be Millsap for his ability to slide to small forward and the culture-setting he brings, but that's what makes him a more attractive trade piece in terms of getting value back. If they don't move one of the two, there's a huge chance they won't be able to retain them in free agency, because there will be suitors.
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/stor...llsap-al-jefferson-players-most-likely-traded
Looking around the NBA, there aren't many viable, young big men ready to step in and become a core piece... Actually let me rephrase that: there are few and far between... And those that could be considered for that role are either not available or far out of reach... With the Jazz, that isn't the case..
With the Jazz, there is no way Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap will be on this team next year... none.. Both could be gone but more than likely it'll be one or the other... The Jazz have too much invested in the development of Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors to pay both Jefferson and Millsap with how they'll likely be paid this off-season... Not to mention, Mo Williams will also be a free-agent and Marvin Williams could be looking for a new contract as well... So for a small-market team not in the championship run, they can't keep both Jefferson and Millsap...
That's where the Cavs need to step in and take advantage of this... The Jazz are in a position where they risk losing one of these players for nothing next off-season... The Cavs are also in a position where they need a low-post scorer to add to their core... And unless they get a top-5 pick, I'm having a hard time seeing where they're going to get that in the future... What is so great about the situation with the Jazz is that Jefferson and Millsap are both proven scorers who are entering their prime.... Meaning they still have plenty of time left and will likely accelerate the process of our development...
I've gone back and forth on who I'd prefer the Cavs to go after... I have to think that Jefferson will be easier to get from the Jazz since I think he'll likely command more money from the Jazz whereas Millsap would command less and might actually be the player who fits in better and would be a better value for the Jazz going forward... But I do think both of them will be available... Both of them have their strengths and weaknesses as a player and as a fit for this team going forward... Jefferson would slide in nicely to give this team a legit post threat and has experience shouldering the load... He and Thompson would compliment each other well in the frontcourt... Millsap on the other hand would force Thompson to the bench, which I'm not sure Grant would be high on doing with Thompson just in his 2nd year... But he provides a more versatile threat for the Cavs as opposed to Jefferson... On defense, Jefferson is a good rebounder and decent shot-blocker but I worry a bit about interior defense with Irving and Waiters as perimeter defenders... Meanwhile, I think Millsap is the better defender but doesn't have the size and length like Jefferson... Jefferson isn't a typical center but he has the size and length to be an effective new-wave center...
So my point of this is: the Cavs NEED to strike while the iron is hot... I'm not sure what type of deal it would take to pull this off with many different factors (Utah being in the playoff race but I'm sure they're cognizant of the fact they will lose one for nothing) but it's something that needs to be done in my eyes... Like I said, neither is a perfect player but the opportunity to get a good, young, offensive big to fit into your core for years at a good price doesn't come along often...
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