The Cleveland Cavaliers just received a shellacking from their rivals out West, the Golden State Warriors. Thus, they still lord it over the NBA trade rumors.
After they narrowly beat the Warriors in Cleveland, the Cavaliers appeared outmatched and it fortified the hypothesis that Golden State is unstoppable when their outside shots are falling.
Yet, even before the Martin Luther King Day showdown, LeBron James already admitted that their roster has holes via Cleveland.com.
"That was obvious from day one, first day of training camp," James said. "We don't have a reliable, veteran backup point guard."
There were many names floated: Rajon Rondo, James' former teammates Norris Cole and Mario Chalmers, Jameer Nelson among others. But the recent devastating loss may push them to seek a major upgrade.
The Cavs may need to look for major names and even think of out of the box options. The Warriors are starting to show their strength as the season progresses and the Cavs know that a Finals rematch could result in a different outcome.
One big name that has emerged on the trading block recently is Goran Dragic of the Miami Heat. The once-mighty champion team lost all its Big Three prior to the start of the season and is now a shadow of its former self. Dragic's salary could stand in the way of an audacious free agency splash.
Pat Riley may not see Dragic, a 30-year old point guard who's likely reached his peak as an integral piece and this could work for Cleveland. However, Riley has a specific return in mind (expiring contracts for cap relief) that the Cavs may not be able to provide.
If the Cavaliers are left with the option of signing free agents on the minimum, they could shock the NBA and sign Lance Stephenson. "Born Ready" is a former LeBron James nemesis during his time with the Indiana Pacers, but that means he has the toughness and experience of a deep playoff run.
Stephenson played a limited back up point guard role to Chris Paul in his time with the LA Clippers. Even if the experiment did not pan out, it's worth another shot.
In a feature from Fansided website Sir Charles in Charge, Stephenson was mentioned as a legitimate free agent option despite his injuries.
"Even though Lance Stephenson's reputation hurts his appeal to a certain extent, his style of play is simply too good to pass on. The big issue here, unfortunately, is that he's becoming a huge injury risk." But they argued: "Despite his recent track record of injuries, no team should overlook him when he's healthy enough to play."
These two point guard options may be a longshot for the Cavs, but they are faced with a tough challenge and limited options.