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NBA Trade Rumors: LeBron James, Cavs Need Help Fast

By Stephen Forsha
Published on: 11:02 PST, Jan 24, 2017

NBA trade rumors have shifted from many NBA teams with losing records all the way over to the first-place team in the Eastern Conference — the Cleveland Cavaliers — as they have struggled recently and aren’t playing at as high of a level needed if they want to successfully defend their NBA championship.

One player on the Cavs who knows they need some sort of spark or motivation is the best player on the team, LeBron James. James has become very outspoken about the Cavs and their recent play, even though they are 30-13 overall.

The Cavs have hit a wall in recent games, losing five of their past seven NBA games since Jan. 10, with those losses coming against the Utah Jazz, Portland Trailblazers, Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, and the New Orleans Pelicans. Losses like that may not hurt the Cavs becoming players in the Eastern Conference, but if they make the NBA Finals in June, they’ll most likely face the Warriors or possibly the Spurs in a Best of 7 series for the NBA championship.

On Monday, Jan. 23, the Cavs lost to the Pelicans by a 124-122 score in a game the Cavs shouldn’t be losing, if we are being honest. The Cavs have a much better overall roster than the Pelicans, but with the Cavs, it seems either they aren’t as good as last season, or they have finally hit the wall and are in the midst of a championship hangover.

It doesn’t help the Cavs that JR Smith is injured (thumb), an injury the Cavs have not seemed to overcome as of yet, plus Kevin Love is listed as day-to-day with a back issue. Now the question is, do the Cavs make a trade with another NBA franchise, or should the Eastern Conference first-place Cavs just play the waiting game for Love and Smith to return to full strength?

LeBron James feels the Cavs need to do something now, because their recent play just can’t happen to a reigning NBA champion, especially an NBA champion who has the abilities to win a second straight championship.

According to the Akron Beacon Journal‘s Jason Lloyd, James wants the Cavs to add to the roster sooner rather than later.

“We’re not better than last year, from a personnel standpoint … we’re a top-heavy team,” James said, adding a few minutes later, “I just hope that we’re not satisfied as an organization. I just hope we not satisfied. How hard it was to do that s—. I just hope we’re not satisfied.”

That sums up where the superstar of the Cavs stands with the current roster. If James is unhappy with the Cavs, well, the Cavs are going to be unhappy, too. It is very simple: the Cavs will go where James takes them. For Cleveland to win a second straight NBA championship and to even reach the NBA Finals, their current roster needs a boost.

The Cavs have some players to offer, but they also need those players to compete for the rest of the season. Cleveland has no problems with their main players, but their overall depth can use a boost. Even if they were to add a player like Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks, that could make the possibility of a repeat reachable as well, but that is doubtful to occur. They did make a trade earlier this season for Kyle Korver, formerly of the Atlanta Hawks, who has played seven games, averaging 7.6 points per game with the Cavs.

In all, the Cavs do need to make a change within their roster. Maybe not necessarily a big-time trade that will grab the headlines, but a trade than can add to the foundation of this franchise, making life easier on the “Big Three” of James, Kyrie Irving, and Love. One thing is for certain: if the Cavs don’t make some sort of move, then James won’t be hoisting his fourth NBA championship and second title with the Cavs at the end of this NBA season.

[Featured Image by Jason Miller/Getty Images]

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