NBA Trade Rumors: How Dealing a Valuable Pick Could Still Help the Cleveland Cavaliers Long-Term
Cavaliers recently acquired the rights to the Brooklyn Nets' first round pick after trading Kyrie Irving
Despite just having executed the Kyrie Irving trade, the Cleveland Cavaliers still find themselves in a position where they need to make a decision, and it is one that will greatly influence seasons to come.
One byproduct of the aforementioned Irving deal is that the Cavaliers are now in possession of a rare and highly valuable asset in the form of a draft pick.
To be more specific, the team now has the rights to the Brooklyn Nets' unprotected first round draft choice, a pick that could easily end up in the lottery portion or perhaps even in the top-five range.
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The pick could present the Cavaliers with an opportunity to land a young player who may turn into the future face of the franchise.
The pick also presents the Cavaliers with an opportunity to execute another deal, one that could make it easier for them to secure a future with current face of the franchise LeBron James prominently involved.
Rumors have hinted that James may be eyeing a second Ohio exodus after the 2017-18 season and it is hard to blame him if he is indeed pondering the possibility.
With Irving now out of town, the Cavaliers next best players after James are Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and perhaps the recently acquired Isaiah Thomas if he is healthy. It is a talented group, but one that would be hard-pressed to challenge for a championship even if complemented by James. It is a group James might deem ill-equipped to chase championships with, which is his goal at this latter stage of his career.
Which brings things back to the Brooklyn pick.
Yes, the Cavaliers can just hold on to the pick, take the young player and make peace with James leaving again, or they could try to convince the Akron native to stay and show him that they are still committed to winning titles.
The Cavaliers themselves may be aware of this opportunity as well, as Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon reported that the team has "fielded numerous calls" concerning deals involving the Brooklyn pick.
There is no guarantee that James will stay if the Cavaliers get some good players back for the Brooklyn pick, but doing so may represent the best chance they have at remaining the King's home team.
More news about the latest NBA trade rumors should be made available soon.
