Cleveland Cavaliers GM David Griffin Still Looking To Make Moves Before Trade Deadline

When you’ve reached the top of the NBA mountain (as the Cleveland Cavaliers did last season when they beat the Golden State Warriors in seven games to capture their first NBA title), it’s easy to get comfortable, complacent, and lose that competitive edge that drove you to win it all in the first place. That isn’t the case for the Cleveland Cavaliers and General Manager David Griffin. The Cavaliers are looking to keep their momentum going, as the defending champions are looking to do what only a handful of teams have done throughout the course of NBA history — repeat as NBA champions.

With the NBA trade deadline still over a month away, NBA trade rumors have been making the rounds on a daily basis, and these NBA trade rumors are only going to increase as the February 23 deadline approaches. At the time of this writing, the Cleveland Cavaliers are still the top seed in the Eastern Conference at 28-10. Taking into account the two-game skid that the team is in the middle of, they still have a 2.5 game lead over their closest rival — the No. 2 ranked Toronto Raptors.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are fresh off of acquiring veteran sharpshooter Kyle Korver. Still, according to Cleveland Cavaliers GM David Griffin, the team isn’t done yet. So far, NBA trade rumors have pointed to the Cleveland Cavaliers being in the market for a back-up point guard to play behind All-Star Kyrie Irving. While it’s certainly a priority to make sure that Kyrie Irving has fresh legs, speaking to ESPN, David Griffin noted that they are not looking for a point guard exclusively, but that “playmaking” is a need that they want to address moving forward.

As far as back-up point guards go, Deron Williams (currently playing for the Dallas Mavericks) has been rumored to be part of a multi-team trade that would see the veteran floor general suit up in a Cleveland uniform. LeBron James has also been vocal recently about adding another big man in the middle to fill in for the injured Chris “Birdman” Andersen; however, Griffin noted,

“I think his comment about needing a big, I’m not necessarily sure we’re on that page, especially from the coaching staff’s standpoint — ironically because we like to play small with LeBron at 4 so much,” Griffin said. “That may mean he doesn’t like playing 4 so much, but we’re awfully good when we play that way.”

While NBA trade rumors tend to focus on the bigger names like DeMarcus Cousins and Paul George, small tweaks can sometimes make the biggest difference. For a team like the Cleveland Cavaliers who have consistently competed for a title since LeBron James made his return to the city of Cleveland, they don’t need to secure a blockbuster deal to compete and be successful. Finding a back-up point guard to keep Kyrie Irving fresh or a back-up big man to fill in for Chris Andersen could mean the difference between repeating as NBA champions and not.

While the 2017 NBA Playoffs are still months away, it’s never too early for a team like Cleveland to start preparing for the post-season. With the acquisition of Kyle Korver, and any acquisitions that the Cleveland Cavaliers might make between now and the February 23 trade deadline, they are clearly gearing up for a deep playoff run. For Cleveland, it’s championship or bust, as many are predicting an NBA Finals rematch between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors. King James is looking to add another jewel to his crown, and it’s possible that another addition to the roster may help him secure it.

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[Featured Image by Jason Miller/Stringer/Getty Images]