The Cleveland Cavaliers are still eyeing big men to add to the roster to round out a very impressive offseason that included getting LeBron James, Kevin Love, Mike Miller, James Jones and Shawn Marion. Unless the Cavaliers take a risk on either Andrew Bynum or Greg Oden, they have to make a trade for someone. The Cavaliers have connections with a few players, but they may not be an option before the season starts.
The best option for a center for Cleveland is Timofey Mozgov. The Russian national team player has a very successful with Cavaliers' head coach David Platt who worked with him during international play. The fit seems perfect. Mozgov has a team option for 2015 meaning the Cavaliers do not have to invest too much into them for the future. It would serve the purpose of getting to the playoffs now instead of later.
However, according to Chuck Myron of HoopsRumors.com, the Cavaliers are unlikely to acquire Mozgov this season. If Cleveland were to make a trade, the Denver Nuggets would request Tristan Thompson. Is that deal worth it? The Cavaliers have denied interest in dealing Thompson, noting his importance of coming off the bench for Love and James. Having Thompson is much for valuable than Mozgov.
The Nuggets will want something big in return for the center. As they deal with the uncertain future of Kenneth Faried, having Mozgov is critical. He helps out with the undersized JJ Hickson. He also is extremely reliable off the bench considering they cannot trust the health of JaVale McGee who went down last season. Mozgov exceled in his spot and might have to do so again. The center averaged 9.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. He also shot 52.3 percent from the field.
The Cavaliers have salary cap space left, but their top choice is Ray Allen to spend it on. The veteran is starting to capture the eyes of the Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat. Cleveland is hoping that James, Miller and Jones are enough to convince Allen to join. If not, they could take Bynum or Oden if they agree to non-guaranteed contracts.
