Dion Waiters hasn’t blossomed into the star shooting guard he was expected to become when the Cavaliers selected him with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft.
Despite his enormous offensive talent and potential to be a top-tier scorer, it doesn’t appear that Cleveland is willing to wait a long time for Waiters to develop into that kind of player.
The former Syracuse phenom is now on the trading block, and Cleveland has discussed a potential trade with three teams, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.
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The 21-year-old’s athleticism, shooting range and playmaking ability make him a valuable player for a rebuilding team such as Cleveland, but he hasn’t been a good fit in the Cavaliers’ backcourt alongside superstar point guard Kyrie Irving.
The expectation was that those two players would form one of the best guard combos in basketball, but Waiters’ disappointing play over the last month has resulted in him becoming a sixth man off the bench and losing his starting spot to C.J. Miles and Matthew Dellavedova.
Waiters’ scoring, assists per games, and free throw and shooting percentages are all down from last year. He hasn’t developed at the pace expected of a top-five pick, but as seen many times in the past, giving up on a young player of Waiter’s caliber can come back to haunt a franchise.
