5 Trades the Cleveland Cavaliers Should Already Be Considering

The Cleveland Cavaliers are now 5-23 on the year, and while they may be better than their record indicates, their roster is far from a finished product.

Unfortunately, with a third straight lottery inching closer with each loss, this year's trade season may be the most exciting time for Cavaliers fans. Anderson Varejao once again sees his name connected to trade rumors.

What team wouldn't want a 6'11" center who is playing like an All-Star, leading the league in rebounding and has a decent offensive game?

Cavaliers GM Chris Grant knows this and has proved to be patient with Varejao trade offers in the past, so you can bet it will cost potential suitors a pretty penny to acquire the "Wild Thing."

With Kyrie Irving, Jeremy Pargo, Dion Waiters and C.J. Miles, the Cavaliers are looking good in the the backcourt.

So help must come in the form of young, talented frontcourt players. There are some rumored to be available. And with assets like Varejao and a ton of draft picks, the time is now for the Cavaliers to improve the roster with the intent of making a serious playoff push in 2013-14.

All trades were verified through ESPN's trade machine.

Acquiring Derrick Williams and Nikola Pekovic

Trade - Cavaliers get Nikola Pekovic and Derrick Williams

 

Timberwolves get Anderson Varejao, Samardo Samuels and a second-round draft pick

  

While Williams' results in his young NBA career have been less than inspiring, one should keep in mind he has played in only 86 total career games and is 21 years of age.

 

There is a reason the Cavaliers liked him so much they wanted to trade up to draft him second overall. As you can see from these highlights, he has great athleticism and explosiveness and can create his own shot. For some reason he hasn't seemed comfortable with the Timberwolves and could benefit from a change of scenery.

 

Pekovic, when he is healthy, can be a serviceable starting center in the NBA. He averages 16 points and 7.9 rebounds per game and is only 26 years old, so the best of Pekovic may be yet to come.

 

This trade also works for the Timberwolves. They get Varejao to form one of the best rebounding tandems ever with Kevin Love.

Trade Varejao to San Antonio

Trade - Cavaliers get Tiago Splitter, Matt Bonner, Kawhi Leonard and draft pick(s)

 

Spurs get Anderson Varejao

  

This trade would center around Leonard, who is a talented youngster with great size, athleticism and energy. He has a pretty good outside shot but can also create for himself.

He may be further along than Derrick Williams as far as development and would challenge Alonzo Gee for playing time almost immediately.

 

Splitter is another guy who would come in and challenge right away for playing time. He is only playing 20.2 minutes per game for the Spurs but averages 9.6 points and 4.9 rebounds. He also shoots over 60 percent from the field.

 

Bonner would be a throw-in to make the deal work and would most likely be cut or used for another trade down the line.

 

The Spurs would get Varejao, who would be a great addition and a perfect influx of energy to a veteran club. The window of opportunity may be closing for the Spurs, but they still have a realistic chance at taking the Western Conference.

Aquiring Paul Millsap

Trade - Cavaliers get Paul Millsap

 

Jazz get Daniel Gibson and Tristan Thompson

  

It has been well-documented that the Jazz are trying to make way for their young big men Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter. They appear to be more willing to move Millsap than Al Jefferson.

Quite frankly, either Millsap or Jefferson would be a welcome addition to the Cavaliers frontcourt.

 

Considering that Jefferson's trade value is higher and he makes $15 million this season (almost double what Millsap makes), Chris Grant is far more likely to target Millsap.

 

This trade makes sense for the Cavaliers because Millsap is already the player they thought they were getting in Thompson. He is a great defender and rebounder.  

And the best thing about this trade is they wouldn't have to give up Varejao.

Millsap is 27 years old and in the last year of his deal, so there is some risk. An agreement on an extension may be needed to complete the trade.

 

For the Jazz, they get another young power forward in Thompson, who could use some time behind Favors to develop. They also get a steady veteran point guard in Gibson who can hit the three.

The Cavaliers Finally Get Their Man

Cavaliers get Andrew Bynum and Kwame Brown

 

76ers get Anderson Varejao, Daniel Gibson, Luke Walton and multiple draft picks

  

This summer the Cavaliers were rumored to be in the hunt for Bynum by way of a three-team blockbuster. That deal fell through, and he ended up going to the Philadelphia 76ers.

However, he has yet to step on the floor with them, and as one GM noted in this article by Yahoo!'s Marc Spears, the 76ers management is a little panicked right now.

 

They are currently 13-14 and a half game out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. If they decide to make a run for the playoffs, Varejao would definitely help. He would help solidify the position they thought they had when they acquired Bynum in the first place.

 

It is looking more and more like Bynum will not play this year, so a team like the Cavaliers, which are already lottery bound, would be willing to wait for him to get healthy. After all, he is only 25 years old and when healthy is one of the best young centers in the game.

There are some things that would have to be discussed before a deal could be completed, however. Most pressing is the fact that Bynum is in the last year of his deal. Thus, an agreement by Bynum to sign an extension would almost certainly have to happen to close the deal.

 

Also as a special bonus, Cavaliers fans will no longer have to watch Walton earn over $6 million for contributing 0.9 points and 0.7 rebounds a game.

Cavaliers Trade Varejao to Oklahoma City

Trade - Cavaliers get Kendrick Perkins, Jeremy Lamb, first-round pick (from the Raptors) and Perry Jones III 

Thunder get Anderson Varejao and possible throw-in player

  

It is known around NBA circles that if the Cavaliers were going to move Varejao, they would want talented, young players, future draft picks or preferably a combination of both.

The Thunder are one of the few teams that can fulfill that desire.

 

The jewel in this trade would be the Raptors' first-round pick, which most likely will be a high lottery selection (it is Top 3 protected). With this pick, the Cavaliers would have three first-round picks in next year's draft, with two of them being high lottery selections.

Needless to say, much like the 2011 draft, the Cavaliers could hold all the chips.

 

They would also receive a great young player in Lamb, who would fit great in their rotation and could form an amazing 1-2-3-punch with Irving and Waiters.

Jones III is another young talent who just needs playing time to develop into a good NBA player. He has great size and ball skills and can play multiple positions.

 

The Cavaliers would have to take on Perkins' contract, but he is only 28 years old and is an upgrade defensively more than anyone on the Cavaliers' roster without Varejao.

 

As for the Thunder, they get the player who may be able to push them over the hump. Varejao has had great success against the Miami Heat.

With a rematch of the 2011-12 NBA Finals looking more imminent, this should be taken into consideration.