Why This Trade Makes Sense For The Cleveland Cavaliers
If the season was to end today, believe it or not, the Cleveland Cavaliers would be a playoff team in the Eastern Conference. They are currently 9-10 and despite their lack of starpower, this young team plays with a lot of energy and grit.
Given their athletic abilities and youth, the Cavaliers know they have a shot at beating any team in the league because of how good they are as a transition team. The Cavaliers are scoring on 55.3% of their possessions in transition this season, which is currently tops in the league.
Their young backcourt of Collin Sexton and Darius Garland look special and sustainable for many years to come and with veteran big man Andre Drummond in the paint, this team has a legit shot to contend for a playoff spot this year. Bringing in Dorian Finney-Smith and Josh Green could help their cause as well.
A lot of Cleveland’s success this year has come on the defensive-end of the court, as they rank 7th in the league in least amount of points surrendered to their opponents. Finney-Smith and Green can both contribute on that end of the court, but Green could also develop into a key role player behind Collin Sexton in the rotation.
After trading away Kevin Porter Jr. just Damyeon Dotson sits behind Sexton in the Cavs rotation, giving Green plenty of opportunities to prove his worth at the NBA level. Cleveland is a very young team and with them looking to push the ball in transition, Josh Green fits in perfectly in their plans moving forward.
Cedi Osman currently ranks 4th on the team in scoring this year and sees about 30 minutes per game, but with other options like Dylan Windler, Taurean Prince and rookie Isaac Okoro, the Cavaliers would have plenty of depth if they traded Osman away. Especially if they would be getting Dorian Finney-Smith in return, who would likely see 20+ minutes per game in Cleveland on the wing.
Getting two key role players to move forward with for the price of one could be really beneficial for the Cavaliers and give them the depth they need to secure an unexpected playoff spot this season.
