Analyst Believes Cavaliers Should Take This Approach To Trade Deadline

We’re quickly approaching the February 6 NBA trade deadline, and the Cleveland Cavaliers still have some tough decisions to make.

There are a few different routes and options the Wine and Gold could consider as they gauge their next moves.

One option is to go all-in on this season and trade for a win-now player who will help the Cavaliers in the short term.

The other possibility is recognizing the surplus of talent and depth already on the roster and making a deal that avoids the luxury tax and gives them financial flexibility moving forward.

The ladder is what NBA analyst Bobby Marks believes Cleveland should do before the trade deadline.

“I think for Cleveland, your goal is, how do we get under the luxury tax? Okay, they’re $1.9 [million] over. They’ve never paid a tax in the non-LeBron era. It’s not about the distribution that would be coming back. It’s basically like pausing the clock, the luxury tax clock. Because remember, you have Mitchell and Mobley extensions that kick in next year, so it’s going to start to get expensive,” said Marks during a recent appearance on the Kevin O’Connor Show.

One player who has been identified as a trade candidate for financial reasons is Caris LeVert. However, Marks also identified Isaac Okoro as a player who could also be moved to achieve this.

“I think for Cleveland, it’s like, how do we move a guy like Okoro? Not part of your core guys, who’s making around $10 million. And how do we get back like a $7 million guy?,” continued Marks.

While trading Okoro or LeVert could help the Cavaliers with future payroll flexibility, the question remains whether trading anyone is worth it.

The Cavaliers must remember the tight bond in their locker room and evaluate whether messing with it is worth it. A few weeks ago, Cleveland was reportedly cautious about making a trade for this exact reason.

It will be interesting to see what, if any, moves Cleveland’s front office makes over the next few weeks.