Dion Waiters has apparently not heard the rumors. The Cleveland Cavaliers guard is not at all focused on the idea of getting traded this offseason, instead remaining convinced that he deserves a starting spot come 2014. However, ever since the official return of LeBron James, Waiters' future has been placed into question as Cleveland attempts to acquire Kevin Love in a trade to pair with The King.
Waiters was easily one of the best players on the Cavaliers' roster last year. Outside of Kyrie Irving, the 22-year-old created instant offense with his 19.3 points and 3.6 assists per game while also shooting 36.8 percent from long range. His name was constantly brought up in trade rumors during the mid-season period last year and that has continued into the offseason. However, Waiters is not hearing the talk.
During a Twitter Q&A, Waiters said that he expects to be a starter this upcoming season instead of coming off the bench. With the additions of Andrew Wiggins and James, there is a solid chance that Waiters is used as a reserve instead of a starter if he remains in Cleveland. The Cavaliers could target him in a sixth man role, but after his response on social media, Waiters might not be so open to the idea. As of now, he is the odd man out of the rotation.
With that trade rumors continue to rise. The Cavaliers have reportedly offered him in a package to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Love while Anthony Bennett is also being included. However, the Timberwolves are not in favor of the deal, requesting Wiggins instead. The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that Cleveland has no intentions of trading Wiggins. They had every opportunity to give up the No. 1 pick prior to the NBA Draft, but opted to use it for a player they envision settling in as a franchise shooting guard. That again leaves Waiters on the outside looking in.
Waiters is likely the next-best player to be traded if Wiggins is not available. The only issue is that Cleveland would likely have to get a third team involved to make everything happen. Right now, Waiters is not interested in being a backup, so while he is still on the roster, expect things to get interesting when it comes time for competing for a role.
