Can Iman Shumpert Be Part of Cleveland Cavaliers' Long-Term Future?

In desperate need of some perimeter defense, Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin landed one of the better young, athletic defensive wings in the league with Iman Shumpert.

"We're very excited to welcome Iman and J.R. (Smith) to Cleveland. With their size and versatility, we think both Iman and J.R. can help our team on both ends of the court and we look forward to them joining us," Griffin said, via Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group.

While former New York Knicks guard Smith may be the most recognized name in the Cavaliers' trade for Dion Waiters, the team wasn't looking to get him. Sure, Smith can provide some outside shooting if he's focused, and the 2015 first-rounder Cleveland picked up from the Oklahoma City Thunder will help as well.

But make no mistake. This deal was about the 6'5", 220-pound Shumpert and his ability to help the Cavs win immediately.

The question now is: Will Shumpert be a part of the Cavaliers' future as well?

Present Fit

During some point this season, Shumpert will win the Cavs' starting shooting guard job.

At 6'5" (although a few inches taller counting the hair), Shumpert can play either wing spot. He's also athletic enough to guard three different positions, which he's done with the Knicks the past few years. This is crucial to the Cavaliers, who rank 27th in opponent field-goal success at 46.9 percent, via ESPN.

The Cavaliers actually have a decent amount of wing shooters on the roster with Mike Miller, James Jones and Joe Harris. Outside of LeBron James and 36-year-old Shawn Marion, there's no one who can make an impact outside defensively. Waiters could in spurts, but he never showed the kind of consistent effort and enthusiasm the Cavaliers would have liked.

On a Knicks team starved of defenders, Shumpert usually had to take on the opponent's best guard or small forward. Just this season, New York used him on both James and Kyrie Irving during two matchups with the Cavaliers.

Last year, the Knicks allowed 8.5 fewer points per 100 possessions with Shumpert in the game, according to 82games.com. They also scored 3.8 more points on offense.

Shumpert appears to be a good fit because he doesn't require the ball to be effective. While James, Irving and Kevin Love all need their shots, he can make an impact on defense, collecting steals and scoring in transition.

One major concern was Waiters' catch-and-shoot ability, or lack thereof. The result after 33 games wasn't a positive one. The former fourth overall pick was hitting on just 25.4 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes this year, per NBA.com.

While Shumpert isn't considered a pure shooter, he plays well off the ball and doesn't interrupt an offense to get his own buckets. When he was playing alongside Carmelo Anthony in New York, he made 39.2 percent of his catch-and-shoot three-pointers this season, or nearly 14 percent more than Waiters.

A cool 57.2 percent of his offensive possessions lasted just two seconds or less, a sign that Shumpert prefers to move the ball and try to create flow within the offense. For Waiters, just 38.3 percent of his possessions were this short, via NBA.com.

Shumpert already has experience playing next to a star. Now, he gets to run alongside three of them.

Age and Injury Concerns

We know Shumpert appears to fit the Cavaliers right now, but what about long-term?

The 17th pick of the 2011 NBA draft (where the Cavs landed Irving and Tristan Thompson), Shumpert is still only 24 years old. He has a nice blend of NBA experience, but also packs plenty of potential over the next five years.

From an age standpoint, he absolutely could fit into the Cavaliers' future. Others at his position, like Miller (34) and Jones (34), are likely winding down their careers. Miller holds a player option for next season, while Jones is set to become an unrestricted free agent.

Shumpert's health is a big concern for the Cavaliers right now. He has not played since Dec. 12 after suffering a separated shoulder. His return date has not been set, although the original prognosis was for three weeks.

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As Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal notes, this isn't the fourth-year guard's first health scare, either.

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Shumpert comes with some injury concerns. He tore his left ACL and meniscus in a playoff series against the Heat his rookie year, which forced him to miss the first 37 games of his second season (2012-13). He missed eight games last year (two with a sprained right shoulder, five with a sprained left MCL and one because he was sick). He has missed 13 games this year (one with a hip injury, 12 for the shoulder).

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Durability is a touchy subject for the Cavs right now. Starting center Anderson Varejao is out for the season with a ruptured Achilles. James is under a two-week rest period for a strained left knee and lower back. Irving is also out with a sore back and has a history of injuries. Love, Marion and Matthew Dellavedova have all missed time as well.

Cleveland needs Shumpert to prove he can stay on the court, all while remaining active and inspired on the defensive end.

If his shoulder can't fully recover, or Shumpert suffers another significant injury this season, the Cavaliers will be very hesitant to sign him long-term.

Contract Issues and Other Options

Shumpert will become a restricted free agent this summer, meaning the Cavs have a right to match any offer sheet he signs with another franchise.

This is where things will get tricky.

Last year, Gordon Hayward of the Utah Jazz signed a four-year, $63 million max extension during his own restricted free-agency period. While Hayward is a fine player, this seemed like an awful lot of money for a guy who owned lifetime averages of 12.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists.

While Shumpert isn't nearly the scorer that Hayward is, his career rebounding (3.5) and assists (2.2) are very similar. He also holds the advantage over Hayward on defense. 

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This isn't to say that the Cavaliers, or any other team, would offer Shumpert a max contract. That being said, his numbers aren't too far off from Hayward, and he's a better defender. All of that could add up to an asking price of $10 million to $12 million a year for Shumpert. Would Cleveland really be willing to pay that much for its fourth-to-sixth-best player?

The Cavaliers will almost certainly watch James and Love opt out of their current deals to sign new max extensions. Irving's five-year, $90 million contract will kick in, and Thompson will be a restricted free agent as well. Terry Pluto of The Cleveland Plain Dealer says that Thompson and the Cavs were talking before the season about a contract valued at $50 million over four years.

Even with a projected rise in the salary cap, Cleveland's payroll could balloon to levels even owner Dan Gilbert may not be comfortable with.

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There's also a question of whether Shumpert is the ideal fit for this Cavaliers team. While much of his skill set fits their need, a true three-and-D player, a la Danny Green of the San Antonio Spurs, may be better. Shumpert's defense is on point, but he's just a 34.3 percent shooter from deep in his career.

The Cavaliers certainly run the risk of handing Shumpert a big extension before he's fully fit into the team. 

Is Shumpert the Cavaliers' answer at shooting guard both now and in the future? Currently, there's no reason to say he's not. Much of it depends on his adjustment next to James and how much money he's looking to make this summer.

For now, Shumpert is a great pickup for the Cavaliers who will help improve the defense and not disrupt the flow on offense.

While he has the potential to be Cleveland's starting shooting guard for years to come, many questions will have to be answered first.

Greg Swartz has covered the Cleveland Cavaliers for Bleacher Report since 2010.

All stats provided by Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.