NBA Trade Rumors 2014: Harrison Barnes, David Lee to Cleveland Cavaliers; Luol Deng, Dion Waiters to Golden State Warriors
- Onchie Ebriega
- Feb 10, 2014 12:47 PM EST
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The Cleveland Cavaliers could trade recently acquired small forward Luol Deng and shooting guard Dion Waiter to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for power forward David Lee and Harrison Barnes, a league insider reported on Sunday.
The Cavs are in the midst of another disappointing season despite their efforts to add talents (signing Andrew Bynum, Jarret Jack and Earl Clark) last summer. Unfortunately for the Dan Gilbert-owned franchise, inconsistency and locker room problems have prevented the team from fully taking off this season.
According to several NBA insiders, the Cavaliers are willing to trade everybody on their roster except All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving. The Cavs could also move Deng, whom they acquired after trading disgruntled center Andrew Bynum and a couple of draft picks to Chicago Bulls last Jan. 9.
"According to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, the Cavaliers are open to trading everybody on their roster, excluding Kyrie Irving, before the NBA trade deadline on Thursday, Feb. 20. And that means former Bulls All-Star forward Luol Deng could be on the move once again," CSN Chicago reported on Friday.
Potential Cavs- Warriors Blockbuster Deal
The Cavs can still trade Deng before the Feb. 20 trade deadline, but the All-Star small forward cannot be included in any trade package in accordance with NBA rules. Nevertheless, Cleveland can easily trade Deng because of the player's high value on the trade market.
Golden State beat writer Tim Kawakami proposed a Cavs-Warriors trade involving a pair of All-Stars (Lee and Deng) and promising young players (Barnes and Waiters).
"Lee and Barnes to Cleveland for Deng and Waiters. (Because Deng was already traded once this season, he can't be traded with another player, so these would have to be split into two separate trades.)" Kawakami wrote.
"Why Cleveland might consider this: Deng is a pending free agent and I highly doubt he'd want to return to the Cleveland craziness and lousiness; also, Waiters is in the middle of a second bad season after the Cavaliers drafted him 4th overall in 2012 and he reportedly is at odds with star point guard Kyrie Irving. Also Lee and Barnes might fit that roster better than Deng and Waiters-certainly personality-wise they'd be better than having Waiters brawl with Irving," he added.
Kawakami also believes the trade would boost the Cavs' momentum as the ballclub attempts to regain soon-to-be free-agent LeBron James this coming summer.
"I know that Cleveland is probably trying to do what it can to lure LeBron James back as a free agent and that adding Lee's money won't help that... but you won't draw LBJ if there's nobody any good on the team, and Cleveland probably has to get what it can for Deng right now because if he hits free agency he's out the door and they get nothing back," Kawakami said.
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