January hasn’t been kind to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The defending NBA champions are 6-7 this month and have lost four of their last six games, which has prompted superstar forward LeBron James to call out management and ask for more help. As the NBA trade deadline approaches, the Cavaliers will continue to be a focal point of the NBA rumor mill. On Wednesday, rumors swirled around the possibility of New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony being traded to the Cavs in exchange for Kevin Love.
Cavs trade talk continued Saturday when ESPN’s Marc Stein wrote in his column that the Cavaliers have their eyes on two veteran point guards. According to Stein, the defending champs are looking into simpler options for fixing their roster, rather than attempting to complete a Melo-like blockbuster deal, and they reportedly are interested in Utah Jazz point guard Shelvin Mack and Denver Nuggets point guard Jameer Nelson.
Cleveland reportedly would like to absorb a smaller contract into its $4.4 million trade exception that it received in the Anderson Varejao trade before the 2016 NBA trade deadline. Mack’s contract would fit perfectly into that exception, as the veteran point guard is owed $2.4 million. Nelson, on the other hand, makes $4.5 million so the Cavaliers would have to use the $4.8 million trade exception they just created in the Kyle Korver trade to absorb his salary.
Mack would be an ideal target to help the Cavaliers’ bench production. The veteran has averaged 7.9 points and 2.9 assists per contest this season.
The Cavaliers ended their three-game losing streak Friday with a 124-116 victory over the lowly Brooklyn Nets.
Thumbnail photo via Brace Hemmelgarn/USA TODAY Sports Images
