The vibes are too good to unnecessarily rock the boat.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will go into Thursday’s showdown with the Oklahoma City Thunder with a six-and-a-half-game lead over the Boston Celtics for first place in the Eastern Conference. Cleveland is also on pace to win 70+ games this season. It comes as no surprise that they’re reportedly leery of making any big moves according to NBA Insider Jake Fischer.
Fischer notes that Jarrett Allen was extended when he was on Aug. 6, so that he could be traded before the deadline if things didn’t work out. Things have worked out better than most would’ve envisioned which leaves the Cavs in a spot where moving Allen isn’t an option making him “even more off-limits than he was previously.”
There could be movement around the edges of the roster, but Fisher isn’t confident that is something Koby Altman and company really want to do.
“Beyond its four mainstays, Cleveland is said to be listening to pitches but is generally reluctant to do any sort of trade-deadline tinkering given how good the chemistry has been during the Atkinson Era,” writes Fisher.
This report doesn’t come as too much of a surprise. The Cavaliers could use some additional help with someone who could shift between playing the three and the four. However, there aren’t many available players who can do so and would be upgrades over their current roster. Additionally, the guys that would fit that mold have either already been dealt—like Dorian Finney-Smith—or are seemingly out of their price range—like Cameron Johnson.
The Cavaliers don’t have any glaring holes on their roster as evidenced by their impressive record. There are always areas that could be upgraded, but the lack of available picks to move or contracts that you wouldn’t mind parting with makes it challenging to pull off.
As it stands, adding someone through the buyout market like they have the previous two seasons seems more likely than a trade.