With the NBA trade deadline being just a little over a month away, the Cleveland Cavaliers have started to explore all of their options. With this year being characterized as a championship-or-bust season, they would be foolish to not at least seek out a possible deal that could help the title-contending franchise improve.
That improvement could be generated by trading away the team’s longest tenured player, Anderson Varejao. There is recent speculation that the Cavaliers are exploring the idea of putting Varejao on the trade block to gauge what type of return they would get. Varejao hasn’t played much at all this season, as he’s averaged just a little over 8 minutes per contest and appeared in 24 games. Still, he could provide value to plenty of teams looking for a skilled forward who can immediately contribute. Varejao is also owed $9.6 million this year and is set to make well over $10 million next season. Getting that contract off the books would provide the Cavs with some much needed flexibility, as their payroll is only set to increase this summer.
However, the Cavs have to be hesitant about dealing him. They’re one injury away from jeopardizing their season and they need all the depth they can get. Varejao is a very nice insurance piece to have if Timofey Mozgov or Tristan Thompson were to go down with an injury and miss time. He could immediately step in and be a key contributor on defense and rebound effectively on both ends of the floor. This teams biggest key is their health, as LeBron James has openly stated multiple times during interviews. Winning a ring this summer is certainly a possibility, but it won’t happen if they’re not at full strength; last summer is a perfect example.
If another team sees value in Varejao and is willing to make the Cavs an offer they can’t refuse, then obviously the front office needs to consider it. Bringing in another forward, who’s younger and not as expensive could be enticing in the short term and the long term. General manager David Griffin will certainly have his phone on all day as the deadline gets closer.
The teams calling just need to keep in mind he won’t be selling low.
