Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman has made 14 in-season trades since taking the reins in Cleveland’s front office in 2017, but he had an uncharacteristically quiet deadline this season. As Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com writes, the Cavs are one of just two teams (along with Chicago) that hasn’t made a trade since the 2022/23 season got underway.
“We just didn’t feel like anything was going to really move the needle for us,” Altman said on Thursday. “Scoured the market and talked to every team I could. We could have made a move that was lateral, multiple moves that were lateral, that I didn’t think appreciably made us better. I really wanted to see what this group looked like together, fully healthy, and the potential of this group, which we’ve seen right in front of our eyes, continue to grow.”
Royce O’Neale, Dorian Finney-Smith, Cameron Johnson, Grant Williams, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Bojan Bogdanovic were among the top targets on the Cavaliers’ wish list, according to Fedor, but the team either didn’t have the assets to acquire those players or deemed the asking prices too high.
Sources tell Fedor that the Cavs made a strong push for O’Neale and tried to line up other deals to get the Nets the sort of assets they wanted, but Brooklyn – which was seeking more than a first-round pick – didn’t bite.
“I think there’s value in continuity,” Altman said. “I think there’s value in giving this group a runway. Sometimes you just say to yourself, ‘Don’t mess this up.’ I think that was a big key for us this deadline. It was not easy for me. We’re the fifth-best team in the NBA right now — 35 wins, which is the fourth-most in the NBA — and some really good numbers to back up what I think you guys see on the court every day. I didn’t see anything that was going to put us over the top.”
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (subscription required) explores what Jae Crowder can bring to the Bucks and contends that hanging onto Grayson Allen through the trade deadline was a win for the team, since he’s having a strong two-way season.
- Adding former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman to an already crowded frontcourt in a trade that sent out Saddiq Bey may be Pistons general manager Troy Weaver‘s biggest gamble yet, argues Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required). James L. Edwards III of The Athletic spoke to colleague Anthony Slater about what to expect from Wiseman in Detroit, with Slater noting that the young center still has a ways to go on the defensive end.
- After not being included in a deadline deal, Pistons center Nerlens Noel has been listed as “not with team” on the club’s injury report, Edwards notes (via Twitter). Noel isn’t owed any guaranteed money beyond this season and finds himself buried even further down the depth chart following Wiseman’s arrival, so he could be a buyout candidate.
- The Pacers‘ relative inactivity at the trade deadline reflected president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard‘s desire not to shake up his core or disrupt the chemistry that the current roster has built, says Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required). As Dopirak observes, Indiana’s lone deadline deal was primarily about using their remaining cap room to add more draft assets, but it will also give the team to take a low-risk look at young wing Jordan Nwora.
The pistons need talent(regardless of position) let them play and keep the ones u want and move the others/different pieces. Wiseman is worthy of the gamble
All the pistons need is young talented all star SF. Put Duren and move to pf and practice shooting 3pt shots. Stewart is a good first big off the bench
The luxury tax saving is important.
Trade Wiseman for Payton = Warriors save $11 million tax
Trade Beverley for Mo Bamba = Lakers save $17 million tax
My grade to Lakers A+
Why?
Mo Bamba is only 24 years old.
Warriors save over $30 million next year according to NBC Sports Bay Area
Royce Oneal would be a god send for the Cavs this season.
The Nets still have an open spot and didn’t pick up another backup big in their trades. I don’t see them getting below the luxury tax line anyway, so it may be worth it to grab Noel if he’s waived or bought out.
It would have to be a buyout and the Nets probably wouldn’t be his first choice. His cap hit wouldn’t be covered by any of the exceptions they have.
He’s passed washed. Saw him a few times for the Pistons this year and he isn’t even a good G Leaguer at this point. It was his first few games but it was bad bad.
So the Cavs wasted 45M by not moving Love or LeVert.
I mean Love isn’t playing as is, all up Charlotte for Hayward and draft assets or call up Chicago for Lonzo and draft assets.
You use those assets in a LeVert deal if need be. He’ll if you said I’ll take back Ben Simmons if you include XYZ you think the Nets reject getting rid of that contract?
Need to do better man. With the Nets imploding, the Bulls, Heat, Raptors, Hawks, and Knicks all becoming non factors. You made the deal for Mitchell, you go all in.
Love (while massively over paid) is a top tier locker room leader. He’s a big part of that young core growing together, even off the court.