7 Players the Cavs Could Trade Kevin Love for by the Trade Deadline

11 Min Read

2. Nicolas Batum

Nicolas Batum Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets are going nowhere and they’ll probably miss the playoffs for the second straight season.

One of the few positives of the Hornets’ abysmal season has been the play of free agent signing Nicolas Batum. Batum is averaging 14.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. Basically, the guy does it all.

At 6-foot-8, Batum is a worthwhile defender capable of guarding up to three positions on the floor. He is also a capable three-point shooter (36.1 percent career three-point shooter).

In order to acquire Batum, the Cavaliers would have to take another player from the Hornets to make the trade work. Spencer Hawes would fill that void.

Not only does Cleveland acquire a versatile swingman such as Batum, they would acquire a player that could somewhat fill Love’s void.

While he’s not an All-Star big man, Hawes can score some points—while playing 27 games for the Cavs during the 2013-14 season, he averaged 13.5 points per game.

With Hawes in the fold, it also gives the Cavaliers the opportunity to explore a separate trade to get rid of Timofey Mozgov.

Next: Rudy Gay and Kosta Koufos


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D.J. Siddiqi is a staff writer for Cavaliers Nation. He has followed the NBA passionately since the 90's and has taken a keen interest in following LeBron James' career since he was drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 draft. Once a critic of LeBron, DJ has grown to admire James as he has evolved from 18-year-old phenom to a four-time MVP and two-time NBA Champion. He looks forward to bringing his knowledge of the game to Cavaliers Nation.