NBA Rumors: Cleveland Cavaliers’ Loss To Golden State Warriors Could Hasten Moves

The Cleveland Cavaliers are not where they want to be. Not after being run off the court in a blowout loss to the Golden State Warriors. The Cavaliers are there just yet. In a few weeks, the Cavaliers will have a better gauge on how well they stack up against the best that the Western Conference has to offer.

Within the next couple of weeks, the Cleveland Cavaliers will have determined if more moves need to happen. That will happen because the Cavaliers will play the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder in an eight-day stretch. How the Cavaliers handle the Spurs and Thunder will reveal close they really are to the Western Conference.

The recent acquisition of sharpshooter Kyle Korver (courtesy of ESPN) only cost the Cavaliers a fringe rotational player in Mike Dunleavy Jr. Everything else was simply just spare parts.

The Cavaliers also gave the Atlanta Hawks a first round pick and the contract of the semi-retired Mo Williams in exchange for Korver. The draft pick will be one of the last selections, and may not turn into much of value.

It was a deal that allowed the Cleveland Cavaliers to get slightly younger, but at least one more move must take place. The Cavaliers are not where they need to be in order to fully compete with the Golden State Warriors.

Many people have been quick to jump to the 126-91 drubbing (courtesy of ESPN) as a cause for alarm, but there are some reasons to consider it as an anomaly.

The Cleveland Cavaliers were finishing up a six-game road trip that lasted 10 days. Five of those games were on the West Coast and was truncated in eight games. Wrapping up the road trip against the Warriors was not the best thing for the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers getting Kyle Korver actually took place during the road trip.

The timing of Cleveland’s trade for Kyle Korver threw some things out of whack. But it is not time to fully panic. The Cavaliers, according to LeBron James, know that they are something of a work in progress.

“We’re still a work in progress. I’ve been telling you that. It’s nothing new. It’s nothing new under the sun. We’re a work in progress. We still got to continue to get better. We’ve had some injuries this year that’s kind of hampered us, and we’ve had some guys sit out that’s hampered us a little bit.”

James astutely pointed out the fact that the Cavaliers are a wounded team. One that will require a little more time to become whole.

“You know, we got a lot of time still, which is a positive. But it’s no secret to how we’ve been playing lately. We made a trade. We lose our starting 2-guard. Kyrie went out for a few games. Tonight, Kev wasn’t able to finish the game. So we know what we’re capable of when we’re fully healthy.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers will be much better when they are healthy, but even when that happens a couple of additions may take place. In the meantime, rumors have been swirling around this team. Many people believe that the Cavaliers have at least one more deal in them.

The calls for another playmaker have grown increasingly louder over the past couple of weeks. It has sparked NBA rumors of the Cavaliers having an interest in the Chicago Bulls’ Rajon Rondo, along with free agent Mario Chalmers. But could the Cavaliers think bigger and bolder? Another elephant entered the room for the Cleveland Cavaliers just days ago.

It was revealed by FanRag Sports Charley Rosen that New York Knicks’ superstar Carmelo Anthony would consider waiving his no-trade clause if the Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers were interested.

In order for the Cleveland Cavaliers to get Carmelo Anthony, they would have to offer the Knicks Kevin Love. The NBA rumors about a Carmelo Anthony trade died once it was reported by Yahoo Sports that Anthony wants to stay in New York. Besides, it might have been too bold of a trade for the Cavaliers to do anyway. Instead, there is another move that can be made.

Sources on @TheVertical: Armed with no-trade clause, Carmelo Anthony tells Phil Jackson: I'm not leaving the Knicks. https://t.co/wP6uFfuXoj

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 17, 2017

Could the Cleveland Cavaliers have an interest in Lance Stephenson?

It was reported by the Inquisitr over the summer that the Cavaliers might have had talks regarding a Lance Stephenson signing. Stephenson, while not having a great history with LeBron James, could be the player the Cavaliers need.

First, Stephenson is a tough guy on the basketball court. That would fit right into a locker room with LeBron James, Tristian Thompson, and Iman Shumpert. He is a rugged defensive player and rebounder, someone ideal to take on the top defensive assignment as James rests.

Stephenson can also play with finesse, which is an ode to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. His ability to handle playmaking duties could ease the stress of James and Irving. He is an ideal fit to be the lead scorer and facilitator of the Cavaliers’ second unit.

Another thing to consider is Lance Stephenson is a free agent. His status would not cost the Cavaliers a key player that would leave in a trade. There is a concern about his temperament in the locker room, but similar whispers were made about J.R. Smith. The Cleveland Cavaliers do not win the NBA championship without him. In the case of Stephenson, if it does not work out, the Cavaliers can simply cut him.

Lance Stephenson is looking at a return in the coming weeks. Will the Cleveland Cavaliers be calling? It could be a bigger risk for the Cavaliers to do so, but it is well worth the consideration. The only question is will the Cavaliers act quickly with this move or another move?

[Featured Image by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images]