Is a trade the solution to the Cleveland Cavaliers' problems? Even before Saturday's 148-124 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Cavaliers had been linked to several veterans in possible trades before next month's deadline.
Though Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue downplayed the need for a trade, telling reporters before the game, "I like the group that we have," the result won't quiet trade talk.
So let's take a look at how three of the reported targets might help the Cavaliers.
George Hill | G | Sacramento Kings
Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports first reported last week that Cleveland is interested in Hill, who has been marginalized in Sacramento as the Kings focus on developing their young talent.
Hill's appeal is easy to see. At 6-foot-3, he's Isaiah Thomas' opposite in terms of frame -- big for a point guard, with long arms that allow him to defend bigger players on switches and block passing lanes. Hill can play either guard spot, which would allow him to play alongside Thomas or replace him in bigger lineups.
Because Hill appears unhappy on a rebuilding team and Sacramento has already moved rookie point guard De'Aaron Fox into the starting lineup, it's possible the Cavaliers might be able to get him in exchange for cap relief without giving up draft picks. For example, a package of Channing Frye and Iman Shumpert for Hill would save the Kings almost $8 million next season, as well as the $1 million Hill is guaranteed in 2019-20.
Getting the version of Hill who ranked seventh among point guards in ESPN's real plus-minus (RPM) last season with the Utah Jazz in that kind of a deal would be an enormous coup. The question is whether that player still exists.
Hill dealt with recurrent toe injuries that sidelined him after Game 1 of the Jazz's playoff loss to the Golden State Warriors, which might have limited his market in free agency. Utah chose to replace Hill by dealing for Ricky Rubio, and after most of the top free agents were gone, Hill signed in Sacramento for what looked at the time like a team-friendly deal with minimal guarantee on the third season of the contract.
So far this season, Hill hasn't been the same player. His usage and assist rates have fallen off dramatically, which can't be blamed entirely on playing with Fox. Even as the lone point guard on the court, Hill has averaged just 4.7 assists per 100 plays, according to NBA.com/Stats, down from 6.2 last year. And his usage rate is below average both with and without Fox. Worse yet, Sacramento is allowing 4.6 more points per 100 possessions with Hill on the court.
Perhaps Hill's effort would be better on a contending team. And on the plus side, he's still shooting the 3 well (a career-high 45.2 percent, which would lead the Cavaliers). So if the price is only cap flexibility and Cleveland doesn't need those contracts to make other deals before the deadline, acquiring Hill might make sense.
Lou Williams | G | LA Clippers
Over the past month, Williams has been one of the league's best scorers, mounting a late bid for his first career All-Star berth. Since Williams is also in the final year of his contract, it's no surprise the Cavaliers would inquire about him, as reported by Marc Stein of the New York Times.
Yet Williams wouldn't really fill an obvious need for Cleveland. About the one thing that has gone to plan so far for the Cavaliers is the success of their second unit once Dwyane Wade agreed to come off the bench. A reserve corps led by Wade, Jeff Green and Kyle Korver has allowed Cleveland to outscore opponents by 2.2 points per 100 possessions with LeBron James on the bench, according to NBA.com/Stats, the best net rating ever for a James team when he sits -- better even than the Miami Heat, who boasted a prime Wade opposite James.
While those results shouldn't preclude the Cavaliers from upgrading their bench -- particularly given their offense has still dropped off by 6.2 points per 100 possessions without James, and much of the defensive success has relied on fluky opponent 3-point shooting -- they reduce the urgency of adding Williams, who has made a career of scoring efficiently against second units.
He'd compete for the ball with Dwyane Wade, who's a weaker player at this stage of his career but entrenched in a key role. Of course, it's possible Cleveland could view Williams as insurance for Thomas, since he has been plenty effective as a starter for the Clippers, too.
Playing opposite James, Williams could be a huge upgrade on the production the Cavaliers have gotten from their point guards thus far with Thomas first sidelined and now less than 100 percent. Amazingly, Williams is averaging more 3-pointers (3.0) and free throws (5.5) than any Cleveland player is managing in either category. The question remains of how likely it is that Thomas' health will allow him to get back to an All-Star level of play -- and whether Williams is needed.
DeAndre Jordan | C | LA Clippers
In last week's piece considering the merits of Cleveland trading the Brooklyn Nets' first-round pick, I noted that Jordan might not be the kind of upgrade in terms of rim protection the team is seeking. At the same time, Jordan would fill a need on the defensive glass.
Though their rebounding is not as problematic as their shot defense, the Cavaliers have dropped to 27th in defensive rebounding this season after moving away from playing traditional big men Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson together. As good as Love is on the defensive glass, he hasn't gotten much help from teammates.
Jordan is more capable of being a one-man defensive rebounding anchor, ranking third in the league by pulling down 35.8 percent of available defensive rebounds. (Love is at 28.6 percent.) Of course, Lue would also have the option of playing Jordan and Love together as a duo that could prevent nearly all second chances. Is improving on the defensive glass worth the price for Jordan? I'd still say no if it means giving up the Brooklyn pick.