3 Intriguing Players Named Potential Cavaliers’ Trade Targets

The Cleveland Cavaliers made some big strides during the 2022-23 NBA season. Their splash acquisition of Donovan Mitchell last summer paid dividends as he helped the team make the playoffs for the first time without LeBron James since 1998.

The Cavaliers went 51-31 last season, earning the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference and homecourt advantage in the first round. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to make the most of it, as they were eliminated by the No. 5 seed New York Knicks in five games.

Looking to improve the roster to get closer to contention this offseason, Cleveland was pretty active in free agency. They agreed to a deal to re-sign Caris LeVert while adding Ty Jerome, Georges Niang and Max Strus to the lineup. 

All three new additions will help shore up areas of weakness on the roster as all three are strong 3-point shooters that come from great franchises in the Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat. But, it wouldn’t hurt to add a little more talent to the mix via trade. 

Quinn Minnich of King James Gospel named three players that the Cavaliers would be interested in acquiring. The first is Royce O’Neale of the Brooklyn Nets. 

It is anyone’s guess what the Nets are going to do this offseason after moving on from their Big 3 of James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. No longer contenders, they could continue stockpiling assets. O’Neale is a prime trade candidate and his skill set is something the Cavaliers need more of. His experience playing alongside Mitchell with the Utah Jazz certainly doesn’t hurt.

Another player to keep an eye on is Delon Wright. Currently a member of the rebuilding Washington Wizards, Wright could be had for the right price. Washington has Tyus Jones and Jordan Poole to handle point guard duties, so Wright could be relegated to an end-of-the-bench role in Washington.

Last but not least, Cole Anthony of the Orlando Magic was listed. The Magic just used the No. 6 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft on Anthony Black, making an already deep point guard depth chart that much deeper.

Markelle Fultz and Jalen Suggs are still on the roster, so something will have to give eventually. None of the aforementioned four players shoot the ball well enough from 3-point range to play long stretches of time together, so moving one or two makes sense.

Looking to add some more punch to their second unit and shore up the backcourt, Anthony would be a great option as a potential sixth man. He also fits the team’s timeline as the Cavaliers have a young, high-upside core to build around.