With less than a week remaining before the NBA trade deadline, the Cleveland Cavaliers are focused on making more deals to help reshape the team.
The names of Rodney Hood and Alec Burks have been most prominent, with the Cavaliers hoping to acquire a first-round pick in return.
Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net wrote that Hood and Burks have been under consideration for acquisition by contending teams:
“One of the discussions involved sending Burks to the Houston Rockets for point guard Brandon Knight and the Rockets’ first-round pick. But those talks have been put on pause, it appears, as the Cavs and Rockets may have found other spots for those players. (The Rockets are reportedly also talking to the Memphis Grizzlies about Knight.)
“The Portland Trail Blazers are another teams said to be making its first-rounder available, and the San Antonio Spurs have two firsts (their own and Toronto’s) that are up for grabs. The Spurs have expressed interest in both Hood and Burks.”
Both Hood and Burks will be unrestricted free agents at the end of this season, with a trade allowing the Cavaliers to get something in return for them. In the case of the team trading for them, the players could help during the season and their expiring contracts could potentially free up salary-cap space when free agency begins in July.
Other potential teams also have interest, according to Amico:
“Hood appears to be drawing interest primarily from contenders — with the Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors among those mentioned most.
“Burks is said to be on the radar of the Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets. It is not known if the Cavs have spoken with any of those teams.”
The expectation that any deal will come in the latter part of the upcoming week. One enticement the Cavaliers are offering other teams is their willingness to take on bad contracts that those other teams are looking to dump.
