NBA Trade Rumors: Cavaliers Could Swap Isaiah Thomas For DeAndre Jordan, According To Analyst
Since the offseason, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been frequently mentioned in various trade rumors mainly pertaining their need to add another superstar to their team. One of their potential trade targets? DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers. With their unwillingness to part ways with the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first-round pick, the latest NBA rumors suggest the Cavaliers could use Isaiah Thomas as a trade chip to acquire Jordan from the Clippers.
After sending Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics, the Cavaliers acquired valuable assets that help them keep their title contender status, and at the same time, preparing them for LeBron James’ departure in 2018. The acquisition of Isaiah Thomas was expected to fill the void left by Irving, but as of now, he’s yet to make his debut as a Cavalier.
According to Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports, Thomas is targeting the first week of January for his season debut with the Cavaliers. The 28-year-old point guard has reportedly made significant progress in his recovery and wanted to make sure that he’s 100 percent healthy when he returns. Thomas’ fit in Cleveland remains unknown, and if he fails to have good chemistry with LeBron James and other Cavs’ starters, they may consider moving him before the February trade deadline.
According to Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype, instead of the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first-round pick, the Cavaliers could trade Isaiah Thomas to acquire DeAndre Jordan from the Los Angeles Clippers. Jordan has been linked to the Cavaliers in the past months, and Sam Amico of Amico Hoops revealed that Cleveland is closely monitoring the superstar’s situation in Los Angeles.
In the potential trade, Kalbrosky suggested that the Cavaliers would be needing to include center Tristan Thompson alongside Thomas. The inclusion of Thompson will enable Cleveland to acquire another talent from the Clippers like backup guard Lou Williams. Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer sees Williams as one of the NBA players who could be traded during the 2017-18 season.
Adding DeAndre Jordan and Lou Williams will undeniably strengthen the Cavaliers’ chance of reclaiming the title this season. Jordan will not only let Kevin Love move back to his normal position at four but will also give them a major advantage over the Golden State Warriors in a best-of-seven series.
Meanwhile, the Clippers will be acquiring their official replacement for Chris Paul. Isaiah Thomas could complete the Clippers’ new “Big Three” together with Blake Griffin and Danilo Gallinari. So far, there no official confirmation if there is an ongoing negotiation between the Cavaliers and the Clippers involving Isaiah Thomas and DeAndre Jordan. Expect more trade rumors to swirl around both teams as the February 8 deadline approaches.
