Cleveland Cavaliers: To Trade or Not to Trade? That Is the Question

On this very date, exactly one season ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers had just defeated the Los Angeles Lakers to move to 12-15 on the season. Here are the Cavs, having played one fewer game than a year ago at this time, sitting eight games ahead of second place Detroit in the Central Division with a 22-4 record, the second best mark in the NBA. 

What a difference one year makes.

Last year, Cavs fans across the country were demanding a trade to spark the lifeless franchise. Minutes before the Feb. 21 trade deadline GM Danny Ferry pulled the trigger, sending half of Cleveland's active roster to Chicago and Seattle to acquire Delonte West, Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, and Joe Smith. 

The Cavaliers ended the 2007-2008 regular season with 45 wins, 14 games behind the pace of Detroit. They took care of the Wizards in six games before falling to Boston in a thrilling seven-game series. Reviews of that mid-February trade were mixed.

The Cavaliers only made one major move this past offseason, sending Damon Jones to Milwaukee and Joe Smith to Oklahoma City in acquiring guard Mo Williams, a lights-out shooter who is always a threat to score.

Today, some 26 games into the 2008 campaign, the Cavaliers lead the NBA in offensive efficiency and are second in the league in defensive efficiency. The Cavs trail the NBA-leading Boston Celtics by only two-and-a-half games, prompting sports writers across the country to deem the Cavs and Celtics as the only Eastern Conference title contenders. 

Those numbers don't lie.

There have been multiple rumors swirling about that the Cavs have an interest in Miami's Shawn Marion, an undersized power forward whose athleticism, determination, and high basketball IQ make him quite a force on the court. 

There is no question that a player of Marion's caliber would help the Cavaliers, but at what cost? Multiple sources have speculated that Cleveland would need to send Szczerbiak and the energetic Anderson Varejao to the Heat for Marion. With the resurgence of this Cavaliers team, a trade may not be the best course of action to win a championship this season.

Never before has the city of Cleveland seen such a strong Cavaliers team. It is almost inconceivable that the Cavs are sitting at 22-4 here in December. 

What is even more absurd is the fact that LeBron and company started the season 1-2, and following that road loss to New Orleans the Cavs are 21-2. They are also undefeated at Quicken Loans Arena, having won all 13 home contests. That's astounding. 

With an eight-game division lead, a mere two months into the 2008 season, it seems that a major trade could only hurt the Cavaliers. 

This group of guys looks like they have been playing basketball together for years. The chemistry of this Cavaliers team is only matched by that of the Boston Celtics, whose 26-2 record leads the NBA. 

A Cleveland-Boston Eastern Conference Finals appears imminent, and with Cleveland taking Boston to a Game Seven last year, it would seem as if the Cavs only have a better chance to defeat the Celtics come May. 

Of course, Orlando cannot be overlooked, but at this juncture of the young season Cleveland and Boston are leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of the East and, dare I say it, the entire NBA. 

LeBron has been resting in many of the fourth quarters this year due to multiple double-digit leads. 

West, Wallace, and veteran center Zydrunas Ilgauskas are having, arguably, the best seasons of their respective careers. In fact, Delonte West is shooting a sultry 39 percent from three-point range to give the Cavaliers a much-needed outside threat. Mo Williams has also exceeded expectations, shooting 36 percent from downtown and 95 percent from the free throw line. 

The Cavs' Achilles Heel in seasons past has been outside shooting, but thus far in 2008 it has become one of their strengths.  The Cleveland Cavaliers are firing on all cylinders and it certainly doesn't appear as if this team plans on slowing down any time soon.

While the Cavaliers could certainly use a veteran power forward, the cost, at this point in the season, would ultimately be too high for a team that is playing as well as Cleveland. 

Marion, Antawn Jamison, and Vince Carter are three big names that have been thrown around by NBA gurus as players that the Cavs have an interest in acquiring. However, with Cleveland off to its best start in franchise history, a trade may only hinder the potential of this squad.

Unless the Cavs endure a disastrous injury, GM Danny Ferry should look to keep this team intact. At 22-4 Cleveland is off to a phenomenal start and, at this point in the season, there is no conceivable reason to disrupt the chemistry of one of the top two teams in the NBA.