The Cleveland Cavaliers are chasing NBA free agent guard Ray Allen along with the Chicago Bulls and the team may also look at a trade for Timofey Mozgov this season with the Denver Nuggets and to get a deal done they may have to give up a decent piece like Tristan Thompson or Dion Waiters, but that likely would come later in the season for LeBron James and company.
According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Cavaliers and the Bulls are among a group of teams chasing Ray Allen as a free agent and he could make a decision soon as training camp is getting ready to begin. ESPN.com reported that the Bulls have contacted Allen's representatives and expressed interest in signing him and that adds Chicago to a group that includes the Cavaliers, Washington Wizards, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat and LA Clippers as teams chasing Allen.
The Cavaliers have also expressed interest in Timofey Mozgov and while that deal with the Nuggets did not go anywhere, it could come up later in the season. According to ESPN.com, the Cavaliers spoke with the Nuggets in the summer after the Kevin Love trade about Mozgov, as they feel that he can be a strong defensive presence off the bench and he has a past relationship with head coach David Blatt. Pro Basketball Talk reported that the Nuggets were not interested in trading Mozgov at the time, as the package from the Cavs wasn't all that great, but things could change as the season goes on.
The Cavs love that they have Kevin Love (no pun intended) this season, but they realize that he has some defensive shortcomings and while they have Anderson Varejao, they would also like some extra defensive support up front. With training camp so close to starting it's unlikely that a deal gets done, but depending on how things develop, the Cavs and Nuggets could pick back up on it at the trade deadline.
Mozgov has a contract through next season at an affordable price and since the Nuggets like his game, they feel he is a building block and are not looking to trade him for scraps. The Cavs would likely have to give up either Tristan Thompson or Dion Waiters and that may not be a worthwhile trade for the team. Mozgov had his best year with 9.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in over 20 minutes per game for the Nuggets and they expect him to continue to develop.
The Nuggets were not a good team last season and they could end up as sellers at the deadline and if the Cavaliers feel they need to make a deal, they may look at Mozgov. The team has added a number of veterans already before turning their attention on Allen, as they signed James Jones and Mike Miller for LeBron James, as those two were former teammates of his with the Miami Heat. LeBron coming home to Cleveland was huge and now the team feels they are ready to compete for a championship right away.
