The Cleveland Cavaliers are the defending champions but not the favorites to win the title, but they can change that if they plug a few holes.
The Cavs need to make some changes as they did lose some key players in the offseason. Experts from ESPN Insider believe that they roster has actually weakened more than what the Cavs initially believed.
The panel believes that the Cavaliers are still the favorites to win the East but that speaks more about the lack of contenders than the capacity of the Cavs. While he was considered a role player and was even benched during last season's Finals, the loss of Matthew Dellavedova is significant for the experts.
Amin Elhassan stated: "Unfortunately for the Cavs, the now-departed Dellavedova was just what they needed -- a no-nonsense PG with tenacious defense and the ability to hit open 3s." Brian Windhorst and Bradford Doolittle echoed this sentiment. With Kyrie Irving's injury history, the Cavs need a solid option at back-up point guard.
With JR Smith still unsigned, the Cavs may also need another scorer at the backcourt. Also, it's still no secret that the team lacks a rim protector as Chris Andersen is likely to offer very limited minutes.
It was for that reason the Cavaliers were heavily involved in trade rumors, specifically involving Kevin Love for DeMarcus Cousins. While that was quite ambitious, a trade along the same line that could address the Cavaliers' positional needs should be considered.
The Cavs have Tristan Thompson for the rebounds and Channing Frye for the floor spacing three-pointers. Love is definitely not a bad player to keep in any scenario, but if trading him can fill the team's needs, why not take an opportunity.
Enter the Phoenix Suns who have a logjam at the point guard spot. They have Brandon Knight, a combo guard who is being relegated to a bench role as the team wants to give rookie sensation Devin Booker more opportunities to blossom.
Knight was honest enough about his feelings on becoming the sixth man (via Arizona Sports).
"It's definitely a sacrifice. I mean, we'll see, I can't predict the future, I don't how it will be," said Knight. "Like I said, I'll do my best to stay warm, figure it out. You have to be professional about it and remain positive."
That doesn't sound very encouraging, but Knight continued: "As long as I'm going out and remaining positive and trying to lift the team up and we're winning games, that's what you want to be part of - a winning situation."
If Knight sacrificed in Phoenix, there is no guarantee of a "winning situation." There is a guarantee of Booker breaking out, though.
The game changes if he joins the Cavs, a legitimate title contender. If the JR Smith impasse worsens (though pundits say it's unlikely), Knight may even end up in the starting lineup.
The Suns could throw in veteran Tyson Chandler who's a bad fit for a young team on the rise. He's perfect for a purely rim protector-role and he would also relish a chance to win a title again.
This is a plausible scenario since the Suns have always wanted Kevin Love. It would take a lot more for the Cavs to break up the core of a championship team, but some say they already have (with Delly, Mozgov and possibly JR Smith gone). Trading Love for players they need to challenge the Warriors is a risk worth taking.