Speights Could Net Cavs First-Round Pick

Marreese Speights has been traded twice since the start of the 2011/12 season, and it's possible he could be on the move again before Thursday's deadline. According to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter), several teams are willing to part with a first-round pick for Speights. However, most of those picks are in the 20-30 range, and nothing is enticing the Cavaliers at the moment.

If the Cavs can land a first-round pick for Speights, even if it's near the back of the round, it would be a coup — when Cleveland acquired Speights, Wayne Ellington, and Josh Selby last month, it was a salary-dump for the Grizzlies, who included a future first-rounder of their own just to make the deal happen.

What's unclear is what else the Cavs would have to take on, along with a first-round pick, in a deal to move Speights. At least one report has suggested that Speights is a good bet to decline his player option for next season, in which case he'd be on an expiring contract this year, increasing his trade value. Still, not many teams would be able to take on the forward's $4.2MM salary without sending out salary in return, so perhaps Cleveland would need to take on a longer-term contract in order to land that first-rounder.

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