The NBA trade rumors find the Dallas Mavericks having the players that LeBron James' needs.
In a bizarre twist of faith, the King may need a favor from one of the West's worst teams. The Cleveland Cavaliers-to be specific, LeBron James, has aired their team needs to reporters (h/t Cleveland.com).
"We still got a couple more things we need to do," James said Friday, as he was questioned on the move for Korver and whether it was a "championship move."
"We gotta get a point guard," James said. "It's my last time saying it. We need a point guard." James also acknowledged the need for a big man but admitted that "there's not many bigs out there ...we'll see what happens."
There are not a lot of options for the Cavaliers who are short on assets. Their draft picks have very low value since they are likely to end up with late first round picks (as long as LeBron stays). They might have a chance at Andrew Bogut of the Dallas Mavericks since he is being slid out of the rotation. But if any other team offers any value, it would be tough for the Cavaliers to match.
Still, the Cavaliers somehow got Kyle Korver. In today's NBA, a team can never have enough shooters, but Korver is not the answer, as stated by CBS writer Matt Moore.
"The Korver deal is smart (should it go through), and opportunistic, at its core it's really just a replacement for Mike Dunleavy. The move doesn't really resolve any of their major issues, and it only augments a strength. This was already one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the league; they set the record for most made threes in a playoff game last year with 25 vs. the Hawks. It's not like they needed another shooter, though Korver is an upgrade, and a good addition," Moore stated.
This is why LeBron still felt a need to clamor for a point guard. But even that would be challenging, as Moore illustrated.
"The Cavs' most likely target for actual upgrades are in free agency of waived veterans. Jarrett Jack's available now, and the Cavs can wait until after the trade deadline when teams start negotiating buyouts for their veterans. Deron Williams, for example, is on a $9 million expiring contract with the Mavericks."
The Mavs are a weak team now, but they have the fringe pieces that the Cavs needs. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is unlikely to make haste to help LeBron James form a superteam, but as a businessman, he'll take assets if they're offered-whether it's from the Cavs or any other team.