Cavaliers Rumors: Reviewing Latest Trade Chatter Before 2017 Deadline Day

The Cleveland Cavaliers are defending NBA champions. They're an inspiration for those living in the Cleveland area, and an exciting team to follow for those who haven't grown tired of one LeBron James. The Cavaliers are playing like a championship team—they currently hold the best record in the Eastern Conference—and yet, things feel just a little off.

Yes, the Cavaliers are expected to be without Kevin Love for an extended period of time, but things go beyond that. Cleveland simply doesn't have the depth that it did a year ago, which could affect the team heading into the postseason.

So far this season, James is averaging roughly two minutes more per game than a year ago. Kyrie Irving is averaging nearly four more minutes per contest. James has openly called for the team to add something to the bench unit, and if the Cavaliers don't, fatigue could be a real issue come playoff time.

“We’re not better than last year, from a personnel standpoint, James said, per Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post.

If the Cavaliers are going to do anything more than adding a free agent, they'll have to do it by Thursday. With this in mind, let's take a look at the latest rumors surrounding the team and its trade options.

Shelvin Mack Could Be a Top Possibility

According to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, one of the more realistic targets for Cleveland could be Shelvin Mack of the Utah Jazz:

The Cavs have discussed trading for Utah point guard Shelvin Mack, who makes $2.4 million this season and is averaging 7.3 points and 2.8 assists, among others. They need a backup point guard, not so much for the postseason but certainly for March, as they attempt to get All-Star starters LeBron James and Kyrie Irving some rest.

Acquiring Mack would be considered anything but a blockbuster move, but it would help the team through the remaining portion of the regular season. With Love out, the Cavaliers could run the risk of over-using James and Irving. Mack could at least give those two some time on the bench in the coming weeks.

Perhaps more importantly for Cleveland, Mack's salary is on the lower end, and acquiring him should be a possibility.

According to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, Mack is "most definitely" available. It wouldn't be surprising to learn that the Cavaliers are considering Mack a surefire fallback option. If the team cannot add a more impactful player, Mack could be the guy the call on.

Carmelo a Dwindling Option

Elsa/Getty Images

Vardon also reported that the Cavaliers are still interested in acquiring Carmelo Anthony from the New York Knicks, though he admits such a deal now appears unlikely.

Anthony possesses a no-trade clause in his contract and would have to agree to any deal before he could be traded. His massive salary—roughly $24.5 million for the season—makes bringing him to Cleveland financially tricky too.

It's looking unlikely that Anthony will be headed to Cleveland, or anywhere outside of New York for that matter.

"The Knicks have not brought anything to [Anthony’s] group that would inspire them to really want to waive this no-trade clause,” The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski recently said. “Most of the teams who had interest in him are looking in other directions right now and expect Melo to remain in New York, at least for the rest of this season.”

We expect Cleveland to continue exploring options with Anthony up until the deadline, but we'd be surprised if anything actually got done.

Moving Shumpert a Possibility

The Cavaliers don't have a lot of prime pieces that the team would likely be willing to part with—James, Irving and Love are almost certainly off the table. However, Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer believes that Iman Shumpert is a "player with real value."

Shumpert doesn't put up eye-catching statistics—he's averaging 7.8 points per game while playing an average of 25.4 minutes—but as Pluto pointed out, "teams are looking for athletic wing players."

Teams would likely find value in Shumpert as a shooter. He is currently making 42.5 percent of his attempts from the field and 40.3 percent from three-point range. According to Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net, one team valuing Shumpert is the Minnesota Timberwolves:

The question for Cleveland surrounds what the team might be able to get in return for Shumpert. Parting with role players like Matthew Dellavedova is part of what got the Cavaliers into this mess, so the return would have to be somewhat substantial.

Don't expect the Cavaliers to actually move Shumpert unless a legitimate difference-maker is on the table.