Cavaliers Trade Rumors: Iman Shumpert Made Available By Cleveland Cavaliers
Cavaliers trade rumors suggest that Iman Shumpert has been made available. These Cleveland Cavaliers trade rumors are discussed in a report from CBS Sports on Monday, February 15. As the Cavs try to add assets before the 2016 NBA trade deadline, fans might be surprised to find out that Shumpert is now available.
Iman Shumpert joins Timofey Mozgov as two players that the Cavaliers are trying to trade to add a shooter to the bench. The team has been linked to players like Kyle Korver of the Atlanta Hawks, Ben McLemore of the Sacramento Kings, and Trevor Ariza of the Houston Rockets. If the team is looking just for an improvement on offense, then Korver could be the answer, but Ariza provides the biggest upgrade on defense.
Iman Shumpert is on the books for three more years after the current NBA season. He makes about $9 million this season and has escalating salaries to the 2018-19 season when Shumpert has a player option in his deal. This is one reason he is mentioned in many new Cleveland Cavaliers trade rumors, as it would take a lot of money off the books to deal him. That would make it possible to add another player making near $10 million per season.
Since coming over to the Cavs, Shumpert has played in just 68 games for the team. His averages are down quite a bit this year, to a point where Shumpert is shooting just 38.8 percent from the field. That could make it tricky to find another franchise willing to take him on, but Shumpert does add a lot of value on defense. That would be something the Cavs sacrifice if he does become a key component of any deal before the NBA trade deadline.
His averages in 24.2 minutes a night for the Cavs have been 6.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Shumpert started 16 games for the Cavs in the 2015 NBA Playoffs, though, averaging 9.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.3 steals a game. He went back to his role off the bench this season, where he has provided some value with the second unit.
For Shumpert, age is on his side, as he just turned 25-years-old. That could bring some additional value to the Cleveland Cavaliers trade rumors where his name comes up. He could also play more minutes on a team in need of guards, as he averaged closer to 30 minutes a game when he came into the league with the New York Knicks. His best fit as a defensive-minded shooting guard could be next to a point guard that is heavily focused on scoring. Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder could make sense.
Though it may seem like the Cavaliers are desperate to make a deal, the team does hold a 38-14 record and first place in the Eastern Conference. It’s possible that the team already has enough talent to make it back to the NBA Finals and provide stiff competition for either the Golden State Warriors or San Antonio Spurs. The front office in Cleveland does seem to be worried about depth, possibly because it almost had none by the time the Cavs played the Warriors in the 2015 NBA Finals.
It might be tough to find another team to take on the future salary of Iman Shumpert, so it could require that the Cavs give up a young asset or a draft pick just to make it happen. If the Cleveland Cavaliers trade rumors do lead to something, fans should expect it to be a multiple-team deal for it to work out. For now, though, nothing appears to be imminent when it comes to the Cavs exchanging players.
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