The Cleveland Cavaliers have been one of the pleasant surprises in the NBA thus far this season. At 20-14, they are currently in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, only four games behind the conference-leading Brooklyn Nets.
While the rest of the NBA is going small, the Cavaliers have decided to go big. They start three players that can play the center spot in Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, and Lauri Markkanen. It isn’t anything that anyone else in the NBA is doing, but J.B. Bickerstaff is making it work.
Bickerstaff already received an extension for the work that he has done with the team thus far this season. Cleveland has received excellent production from numerous players on their roster. One of them is Darius Garland, who is ascending toward becoming an All-Star, elevating his game offensively as both a playmaker and scorer.
His development, along with the unorthodox roster construction, has the Cavaliers playing good basketball. Their timeline has moved up, as they look ready to compete for a spot in the postseason right away.
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As a result, they will likely be buyers ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline. There are some holes that they could fill on the roster to cement their standing, but if the opportunity arose to make a blockbuster deal, they could go for it.
Ben Simmons was one player that has been linked to the Cavaliers previously. He remains on the Philadelphia 76ers, so until he is traded, Cleveland could remain in play. Another name to keep an eye on is Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets.
Irving began his career with the Cavaliers as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. He spent the first six seasons of his career in Cleveland, winning a championship in 2016. Could he end up back where things began?
According to Maxim Bet USA, the Cavaliers are the favorites to land Irving should the Nets trade him.
It would be a bit of a shock to see the Cavaliers re-acquire Irving all these years after trading him, but weirder things have happened. Cleveland has an elite defense thus far this season, but their offense has not been as strong.
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Kyrie Irving would help change that as one of the premier offensive players in the NBA. The Cleveland Cavaliers have an excellent core, so if they were to add an offensive dynamo such as Irving to that mix, the results could be excellent.
