Sometimes, trends are made to be bucked. It’s better to zig, some will tell you when others zag. Take the Cleveland Cavaliers. With the rest of the NBA leaning into small-ball, they went jumbo.
Last year, they routinely ran triple big lineups featuring Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, and Lauri Markkanen. Up to an untimely Allen injury, it looked like that strategy would earn them a ticket to the playoffs.
For that matter, look at the Toronto Raptors. They didn’t play three big men at any point in the year. In fact, they routinely played none. Still, you couldn’t call their strategy small ball.
Instead, the Raptors would have two, three, or even four jumbo playmaking wings on the floor at any given moment.
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Of course, their strategy did earn them a trip to the postseason. With that said, they didn’t last long, losing in the first round to the Philadelphia 76ers. Could they make a major move this summer?
Trading Pascal Siakam would certainly qualify. In the event that the Toronto Raptors choose that course of action, here are three deals that land him on the Cleveland Cavaliers.