Reports of the Cleveland Cavaliers being interested in trading with the Miami Heat for Norris Cole and Chris Andersen means we get to play general manager.
According to Bleacher Report’s Ethan Skolnick, the Cleveland Cavaliers are in the market to improve its current roster and are interested in the Miami Heat’s Norris Cole and Chris Andersen.
Cole is on a rookie-scale contract and Birdman signed a new two-year, $10 million deal in the offseason. Cole is Miami’s main trade asset because (a) he is young and on a cheap deal and (b) is the only non-rookie on the roster who can be traded before December 15. Andersen cannot be traded until then because of a league rule that prohibits teams from trading players who were just recently signed.
Skolnick says the Cavs are interested in Cole–whose agent is Rich Paul–as a backup point guard, and want Andersen for his rim protection. Cole’s deal is worth roughly $2 million this season and becomes a restricted free agent in 2015. Andersen’s deal is worth nearly $5.4 million this season and about the same next season.
What do the Cavs have to offer? Time to play GM as we look at some possible trades.
If the Heat and Cavs make a deal soon, that limits the player involved to only Cole. The Cavs have a couple of young guards, Matthew Dellavedova and Joe Harris, that they could pair with the expiring deal of Lou Amundson in a swap for Cole. Both Cavs guards are young–24 and 23 respectively–and good 3-point shooters. Amundson would be thrown in for salary-matching reasons and likely waived after the completion of the deal.
Skolnick also mentions reports about the Cavs’ interest in Minnesota Timberwolves swingman Corey Brewer, who is a plus defender they could use. Maybe a three-way trade is in the works.
Minnesota gets: Dion Waiters
Cleveland gets: Brewer, Chris Andersen and Denver’s 2015 second-round pick (via Minnesota)
Miami gets: Chase Budinger
The Cavs get key additions that improve their interior and perimeter defense, as well as a second round pick from Denver that figures be near the top of that round. The Wolves add another young piece in Waiters, who never quite gets his new role in Cleveland and is replaced by Dellavedova and Harris. Miami gets Budinger, a 6-foot-7 swingman who is a career 36 percent 3-point shooter. He’s not a great defender, but has the tools to be taught.
That last trade is less likely. The most plausible option is that Cleveland uses the Keith Bogans trade exception to acquire Cole or Andersen and send Memphis’ heavily protected 2015 first-round pick* to the Heat. The Bogans exception is worth about $5.3 million and something that can be used to acquire a player who fits under that salary in a trade. It’s a very useful and versatile asset. The Heat could trade Cole and acquire a $2 million exception, or Andersen for the full $5.3 million.**
The Heat won’t be striking any homeruns in any of these deals, but there is an opportunity to collect some assets–something this team has sorely lacked the last few years.
*Protected 1-5 and 15-30 through 2016, protected 1-5 in 2017, 2018 and unprotected in 2019, per RealGM.com.
**This may also require the Cavs to send a throw-away contract of Will Cherry or Alex Kirk to complete the deal.