Updated 07:33 PM EST, Sun, Dec 22, 2024

NBA Trade News: Cleveland Cavaliers Acquire Timofey Mozgov From Denver Nuggets

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After months of discussion with the Denver Nuggets, the Cleveland Cavaliers were finally able to acquire center Timofey Mozgov.

A report by ESPN revealed that the Cavs will be paying a high price for the trade since they will be sending two first-round picks to make the deal happen, meaning they will give up their future pick from the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2013 trade and a first-round pick they got from the Oklahoma City Thunder this week.

But in getting Mozgov, the Cavs will also have the chance to choose a second-round pick in this year's draft.

"It was a deal that we worked on for quite some time. We're very excited about this. It fits our needs," Cavaliers GM David Griffin told ESPN.

Aside from his skills on the court, Mozgov is also said to have a "strong relationship" with Cavs coach David Blatt who was his coach mentor on the Russian national team when it bagged the bronze medal during the 2012 Olympics in London.

"Coach Blatt is extremely excited to have added Timofey and I think that's something that's a great fit for all of us. We get up here and we talk about this all the time. We talk about fit, we talk about taking time to grow together ... His numbers didn't need to be flashy. We've got three guys that are top 20 players in the NBA. Those guys can be flashy. We need guys that do the dirt work," Griffin added.

Some reports also noted that the need of the Cavs for Mozgov increased when Anderson Varejao had to stop playing for the team after a torn Achilles last month.

A similar Yahoo Sports report said that the team also became interested in Mozgov despite his not so great performance averaging only 8.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks for the current season.

''His numbers didn't need to be flashy. We've got three guys that are top 20 players in the NBA. Those guys can be flashy. We need guys that do the dirt work. ... It fits our needs," Griffin was quoted by NBA.com as saying.

Asked for his reaction on the current acquisition of the team, LeBron James said that Mozgov is a welcome addition to their list of competitive players.

''It's something that we need. t's something that once Andy went down, it was something obviously we needed to get bigger in the interior and adding a guy like that who can protect the rim, it will help our team as well,'' the Cavs star player added.

In the coming days, fans will see what Mozgov can do for the struggling Cavs and how he can change the fate of the team this season.

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