How Cleveland Cavs Should Address Each Area of Need at the NBA Trade Deadline

It's good to be the defending NBA champs.

But the Cleveland Cavaliers know a few roster tweaks could make life even better.

"We still got a couple more things we need to do," LeBron James said after the Cavs acquired sharpshooter Kyle Korver, per ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin. "We got to get a point guard."

Cleveland has needed a veteran playmaker behind Kyrie Irving all season. Chris Andersen's season-ending ACL tear left the roster lighter than it could be in traditional interior bigs. 

The needs ahead of the Feb. 23 deadline aren't major, but they're present. A 126-91 shellacking at the hands of the Golden State Warriors on Monday adds at least a modest amount of sting. 

The Cavs have different means to address their issues via an open roster spot, a few trade exceptions and a smattering of prospects (including spark-plug scorer Jordan McRae and draft-and-stash prospect Cedi Osman). Each of Cleveland's focus areas has multiple options, the best of which are broken down here.

Clearance-Priced Assist Machine

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Few NBA voices carry more weight than James'. So, when the King declares, "We don't have a reliable, veteran backup point guard," per Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon, it's safe to assume the Cavs are working feverishly to find one.

Perhaps James' old playoff adversary, Rajon Rondo, would fit the bill. While he doesn't always play nice with others, he produces inside the lines. This season has actually been his worst in player efficiency rating (11.1), and yet he's still flirting with a triple-double average per 36 minutes (8.8 points, 8.6 assists and 7.5 rebounds).

Rondo recently regained a rotation spot with the Chicago Bulls, but he's been supplanted in the starting lineup by Michael Carter-Williams. Before playing the first reserve minutes since his rookie season, Rondo said he would "absolutely" talk to executives about leaving town if he was no longer part of their plans, per CSN Chicago's Vincent Goodwill.

The Cavs, Vardon reports, are watching all of this. Should Rondo become available at a discounted rate, he'd get a long look from Cleveland. He's done his best work when surrounded by stars and snipers, both of which the Cavs have in abundance. And James has seen Rondo at the height of his powers firsthand, which could motivate James to welcome a character risk as he did with J.R. Smith in 2015.

If Cleveland gets the good Rondo, it would have a playmaking wizard who adds potency to the offensive weapons around him. His own shooting concerns would be mitigated by the Cavs' wealth of spacers.

It's an intriguing prospect, provided he wouldn't cost much to acquire and would embrace a supporting role without messing up the champs' chemistry.

Soft Landing for Former All-Star

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Speaking of substitute floor generals, why not add one who can actually shoot?

The availability of Jameer Nelson isn't clear. As a 34-year-old backup on a team with a .410 winning percentage, it seems like he should be up for grabs. But it all depends on how much the Denver Nuggets value the chance at securing a don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-it playoff berth.

Despite their 16-23 record, they're right on the doorstep of the Western Conference's eighth seed.

Of course, if the Nuggets sneak into the postseason, they'd be first-round fodder for a juggernaut. Maybe that feels like progress when you haven't been invited to the big dance in four years, but their best long-term play is selling.

That's what ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported they were doing earlier this month. And while Nelson wasn't specifically mentioned, one would assume he's gettable with the Nuggets needing floor time for backcourt prospects Jamal Murray, Emmanuel Mudiay, Gary Harris and Malik Beasley.

Nelson isn't a natural table-setter, but he can handle both scoring and distributing duties. He has 44 postseason games under his belt, an All-Star selection on his resume (2009 with the Orlando Magic) and some of his best shooting rates in years (44.3 percent overall, 38.3 outside). He's also sporting more assists per turnover (2.32) than both James (1.97) and Irving (2.06).

Nelson should seamlessly fit on Cleveland's vet-heavy bench, and he'd relieve the team of the inconsistency bouts plaguing youngsters like McRae and Kay Felder. It's even possible the Nuggets would be amenable to taking one of those prospects back as they continue deciding which of their puzzle pieces work best for the future.

Turning Old Adversary into Anchor

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Andrew Bogut's last two seasons have ended just like the Cavs'—one celebrating a world title, one lamenting a blown lead in the NBA Finals.

Could Cleveland's old combatant become a critical piece of its next playoff run? It seems possible.

"When Timofey Mozgov went to Hollywood, [the Cavs] lost their ability to super-size their frontcourt," CBS Sports' James Herbert wrote. "If the Mavs were interested in, say, Iman Shumpert and a pick, then they should do it."

Bogut is slated for free agency at season's end and doesn't envision a long future with the Dallas Mavericks. The former No. 1 pick could fill two needs at once for the Cavs, as both a premier paint protector and expert passer for his position.

Cleveland needs better coverage underneath: The club finds itself outside the top 10 in defensive efficiency and inside the bottom 10 of opponents' restricted-area shooting (62.1 percent, 23rd) and blocks (4.0 per game, 25th).

Last season, Bogut allowed the fifth-lowest conversion rate at the rim among high-volume bigs. And he's tallied the 10th-most blocks since entering the league.

Cleveland's offensive movement could also improve with Bogut. He's a skilled screen-setter who widens slashing lanes and frees perimeter marksmen to fire. And he's a crafty setup man, averaging at least three assists per 36 minutes in five of the last six seasons. The Cavs, who are 22rd in assist percentage, need more offensive creativity coming from players other than James and Irving.

Unclogging a Frontcourt Logjam

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Since the Cavs are limited on expendable trade chips, they must identify sellers who lack leverage. Teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, who are now seeing the harsh reality of spending lottery pick after lottery pick on the same position.

"Having [Joel] Embiid, [Jahlil] Okafor and [Nerlens] Noel all on one team simply isn't possible in today's NBA where pace and space rules all," Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post wrote. "It's time for them to move on from at least one of Okafor or Noel and begin reorganizing this roster in a way that makes sense."

This is clear for anyone to see, which is why it's almost impossible to envision Philly even approaching equal value on the trade market. If the Sixers ever relent and sell Noel for cheap, the Cavs must place a bid. He'd instantly enhance their interior defense (42.6 percent shooting against at the rim, third) and provide athletic insurance behind high-motor big man Tristan Thompson.

If Noel proves too rich for Cleveland's blood, it could sniff out similarly squeezed players elsewhere.

Like the Nuggets' 7-foot brawler Jusuf Nurkic, who has nearly been erased from their rotation. Or New Orleans Pelicans 7'2" center Alexis Ajinca, who went from starting to not playing and is frustrated by the situation. Or Sacramento Kings bouncy 7-footer Willie Cauley-Stein, who's only getting 11 minutes a game just one year removed from being the sixth overall pick.

Remember, the Cavs are only shopping for a fourth traditional big man. If they find one of these players is priced accordingly, they should pounce.

Going the Free-Agency Route Instead

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Trades appear to be the most significant way for the Cavs to improve their roster, but there are a few options that would allow them to add without subtracting.

There are unsigned free agents who could fit the bill: One-time Cavalier Jarrett Jack is working his way back from a torn ACL. James' old South Beach running mates Mario Chalmers (Achilles) and Norris Cole (hamstring) are both rehabbing their own ailments.

Jack is the oldest of the three at 33, but he was one of only six players to average at least 12 points, seven assists and four rebounds in 2015-16. However, his campaign derailed in January with the knee injury, and he was since signed and waived by the Atlanta Hawks.

Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer opined the Cavs "have more interest in Chalmers" than Jack. Chalmers is three years younger, had a more efficient 2015-16 (17.3 PER to Jack's 14.5) and has four times the playoff experience (99 games to Jack's 24). Chalmers also shined for the Memphis Grizzlies last season, thrice scoring 20-plus points and averaging 10.8 points on 41.7 percent shooting and 3.8 assists.

Cole tallied 10.6 points, 3.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds through 45 games for the Pelicans last season, before a lower back injury shut him down in March. He opened this campaign in China but was released after suffering his hamstring injury. Cole should be ready anytime, Stein reported.

If Chalmers is healthy, he looks the most intriguing of these three, though any would provide more stability than Cleveland's current reserves. But if the Cavs don't love these or their trade options, they could wait beyond the deadline to see what the buyout market offers. If someone like Deron Williams shakes loose in Dallas, patience could prove the best option.

All statistics accurate through games played Monday, Jan. 16, and used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.

Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @ZachBuckleyNBA.