The Cavaliers are trying to upgrade their roster by offering Brendan Haywood's non-guaranteed contract and the 24th pick in the draft, reports ESPN's Brian Windhorst.
Cavaliers looking to trade Brendan Haywood for backcourt help, per report
Haywood’s non-guaranteed contract is a good trade chip that the Cavaliers are willing to cash in.
After losing in the finals, Cleveland is looking to add some more playmakers. Iman Shumpert, Matthew Dellavedova and possibly J.R. Smith will all become free agents and the Cavaliers just saw how the Warriors ran lineups in which everyone was a threat to score or pass. It makes sense for them to try to turn Haywood's $10.5 million contract into another perimeter player who can create, to ease the pressure on LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. The pick, while not particularly enticing, could be the sweetener other franchises need to pull the trigger on a cost-cutting move.
So let’s look at this rumor more closely.
Why it makes sense
The Cavaliers' first priority in free agency after re-signing LeBron James and Kevin Love when they opt out should be to bring back Tristan Thompson. That would give them one of the deepest big man rotations in the league, which is a necessity considering Anderson Varejao's injury history. If they do that, bringing back all of their perimeter free agents would put them deep into luxury tax territory. Cashing in on Haywood's non-guaranteed contract just in case they can't retain everyone makes a lot of sense.
The possibility to get big savings before the free agency period should be attractive to many teams that are either looking to lower their payroll or carve up room to make a signing. Haywood's unique contract is a valuable asset. In the past, a similar contract belonging to Erick Dampier landed the Mavericks Tyson Chandler, when the then Bobcats decided to cut salary. The package might not seem like much but there will be teams very interested in it.
Why it doesn’t make sense
The problem is there are not a lot of quality players in that salary range that fit the characteristics the Cavaliers are reportedly looking for and are on the block. Cleveland would surely love to land Nicolas Batum, George Hill or Avery Bradley but the Trail Blazers, Pacers and Celtics have no incentive to trade them. Tyreke Evans is too expensive, Jose Calderon and Jamal Crawford are too old. The best fit might have been Monta Ellis but the Mavericks can't re-acquire Haywood, since they amnestied him
O.J. Mayo, Greivis Vasquez and Mario Chalmers could be options but wouldn't really represent a huge upgrade over the Cavaliers' own free agents. They could target two players with small enough salaries that combined don't exceed Haywood's contract but teams are typically in no rush to package small deals that can have value on their own. The Cavaliers have a good trade chip but not a lot of realistic targets.
Likelihood of happening: 6/10
Cleveland will continue to work the phones trying to make a deal and it’s possible the circumstances surrounding some of the high caliber players within their range changes. There’s also the chance that the front office is fine bringing in a mediocre player on a short-term contract, like Calderon or Mayo. Letting that trade chip go to waste is not something the Cavaliers would agree to do without exploring all options. The chances of really landing a player who can move the needle, however, aren’t great.
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