With the Cleveland Cavaliers set to get their 2019-20 season underway on Wednesday, their roster has a number of veterans whose current contracts end after this year.
One Cavs insider believes that those veterans will find themselves on the trading block during the season.
Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com offered some thoughts on the Cavs. He noted that the idea of making such trades has been a constant source of conversation over the past year.
“I can tell you the Cavs will be looking to trade veterans such as Matthew Dellavedova, John Henson, Brandon Knight, Tristan Thompson and possibly [Jordan] Clarkson,” Pluto wrote.
One of the players not listed was Kevin Love, who’s set to begin the first season of a four-year contract extension he signed last year. Pluto offered no hint as to whether the Cavs will try to deal him, though he indicated that Love’s health would likely play a key role in that decision.
Of the five players that Pluto listed, the Cavaliers are expected to make the most effort to re-sign Clarkson, considering he’s coming off his best NBA season. However, another good year is likely to price him out of the Cavs’ range and make dealing him more of a priority.
Henson and Knight were acquired in trades last year, but aren’t seen as part of the team’s future. In the case of Thompson and Dellavedova, both have strong histories with the Cavaliers, but as the Cavs continue to build towards the future, it is likely they value young talent or future picks over established vets.
Even with all of those players on this year’s team, the Cavs are still expected to struggle throughout the season. The hope is that any deals they end up making for the aforementioned players will bring back future assets that can help them in the years ahead.
