Making the Case: Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers had a surprisingly successful season in 2021-2022 despite losing Collin Sexton for the year. This was partly due to the ascension of Darius Garland, the arrival of rookie sensation Evan Mobley, and the inspired play of veteran guard Ricky Rubio.
Rubio, however, also succumbed to injury halfway through the season, finishing with only 34 total games played. When he went down into the ice, he dragged Cleveland’s hot start under with him.
The Cavs struggled to replace his production, as Rubio was one of the few players capable of generating offense for Cleveland. Once he went out, opposing defenses found it much easier to key in on Darius Garland and grind the Cavaliers’ attack to a halt.
They tried to replicate Rubio’s playmaking and shot creation by trading with the Indiana Pacers for Caris LeVert. LeVert turned out to be a less than ideal fit, though, and Cleveland ultimately flunked out of the Play-In Tournament.
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Trading for Bradley Beal gives the Cavs a legitimate number one option on offense, someone who can shoulder the scoring burden and leave Darius Garland to what he does best: orchestrate the attack.
Cleveland turned out to be ahead of their development curve and should be looking to capitalize on their young talent while their key players are still on rookie deals.
Adding Beal’s perimeter creation to that elite defense could make for a dark-horse contender in the Eastern Conference, and the price to pay is relatively frugal compared to the return.
