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NBA Rumors: Cavs 'Reluctant' to Make Trades That Could Hurt Chemistry Before Deadline
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The Cleveland Cavaliers have the best record in the league as a result of both outstanding play and great chemistry.
As the trade deadline nears, the Cavs are reportedly listening to offers but are hesitant to make any moves that could disrupt the team’s chemistry, per NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer.
“Beyond its four mainstays, Cleveland is said to be listening to pitches but generally reluctant to do any sort of trade-deadline tinkering given how good the chemistry has been during the Atkinson Era,” Stein and Fischer wrote.
At this point in the season, the Cavaliers don’t have much of a reason to be active around the trade deadline. They are off to a historically good 34-5 start and sit firmly in first place in the Eastern Conference.
As Stein and Fischer noted, any trades likely wouldn’t feature Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen. It wouldn’t be surprising if Cleveland wanted to keep all of the players in its regular rotation to ensure it doesn’t disrupt the chemistry they’ve developed.
If the Cavs decide to make some moves before the deadline, there could be a handful of players around the league hoping to be included in a package. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported last week that Cleveland has become a desirable location this season.
“Something interesting has happened this year with the Cavs, I’ve had multiple agents tell me that their players want to play in Cleveland,” Windhorst said on ESPN Cleveland. “Part of it is because they know that Dan Gilbert will spend money and that if they trade for their client, their client can get paid. Part of it is they like the way the Cavs are playing, stuff like that. That is an indication to me that they’re being well-received. The way they’re playing is being well-received.”
Whether the Cavs opt to have an active trade deadline will be determined within the next month, but the roster they have at the moment seems more than capable of competing for a championship.