The Cleveland Cavaliers may consider trading for Philadelphia 76ers big man Nerlens Noel, but at the expense of Iman Shumpert and Jordan McRae.
The Cavs should look into improving their roster if they are hoping to fend off any threats to their back-to-back title hopes. Losing key players in free agency may not hurt the Cavs' chances next season, but there is still room for an upgrade, especially with rivals Golden State Warriors significantly improving their own after adding Kevin Durant.
According to Quenton Albertie of Sports Illustrated's Fansided, one possible trade the Cavs may explore is a deal for 76ers center Nerlens Noel, who could likely be the odd man out in Philly, with the team needing to address their frontcourt logjam.
In Albertie's trade scenario, the Cavs would get Noel and Carl Landry from the Sixers in exchange for Jordan McRae and Iman Shumpert, a deal which works on ESPN's trade machine.
"Trading for Noel would give the Cavaliers great depth at center between he, Thompson, and Chris Andersen. If the Cavaliers want Landry, the power forward position has the same type of depth between Love, Frye, and himself," Albertie wrote.
Adding Noel would give the Cavs another great rim protector, who could come off the bench playing behind Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson. Noel's athleticism and ability to finish at the rim would also fit nicely in the Cavs' fast-paced offense. While listed as power forward, Noel could become a legit center playing for the Cavs due to his length and size.
Meanwhile, Shumpert would provide the 76ers a veteran who can score and defend multiple positions, someone the team may want to play alongside 2016 first overall pick Ben Simmons. McRae, on the other hand, would also give Philadelphia another scorer, who could benefit well in Simmons' playmaking skills.
The 76ers lack shooters to surround Simmons, and while Shumpert and McRae are not the sharpest of shooters, their percentage from the field should still space the floor for Philadelphia.
It remains to be seen whether the Cavs would truly consider trading for Noel, especially with the team yet to address contract situations with free agents JR Smith and LeBron James. But if the Cavs believe tinkering their lineup would do well for next season, Noel seems a viable option for Cleveland.