NBA Rumors: Cavaliers Could Trade Tristan Thompson & Future Draft Picks For Danilo Gallinari, Per ‘Forbes’
Despite losing LeBron James in the recent free agency, the Cleveland Cavaliers made it clear that they have no intention to undergo a full-scale rebuild. Their decision to give Kevin Love a massive contract extension showed that the Cavaliers still plan to remain competitive and defend their title as Eastern Conference champions in the upcoming 2018-19 NBA season.
Unfortunately, their roster, as currently constructed, is not in a strong position to contend for the NBA championship title next season. If they are serious about earning a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers should consider upgrading their roster. According to Evan Dammarell of Forbes, the Cavaliers could engage in a trade deal with the Los Angeles Clippers involving center Tristan Thompson and small forward Danilo Gallinari.
As the report noted, Thompson is expected to battle for the role as starting center with Larry Nance Jr. in the upcoming training camp. If Thompson loses to Nance Jr., it will be best for the Cavaliers to trade him and the $38 million he’s owed over the next two seasons. In the proposed trade deal, the Cavaliers will be trading Thompson and future draft picks to the Clippers for Danilo Gallinari. The deal works on ESPN’s NBA Trade Machine.
“The Clippers could straight up offer Italian forward Danilo Gallinari to Cleveland for Thompson and future draft picks from Cleveland. For the Clippers, they would be able to keep retooling their roster and free up more playing time for Tobias Harris, who is in a bit of a logjam with Gallinari on the floor. For Cleveland, obtaining Gallinari would shore up the hole at the starting small forward spot and allow them to make a serious claim to contend in the Eastern Conference.”
Khloé Kardashian and Tristan Thompson Are Not Talking About Getting Engaged, Source Says https://t.co/KBTzIa4eus
— People (@people) September 7, 2018
If the suggested trade becomes a reality, it will help the Cavaliers and the Clippers in addressing the areas they need to improve on their roster. The deal will allow the Cavaliers to continue with the Larry Nance Jr.-Kevin Love frontcourt experiment that helped them perform better on both ends of the floor last season. The Cavaliers won’t mind losing Thompson since they have Ante Zizic to serve as their primary backup center next season.
The acquisition of Danilo Gallinari will give the Cavaliers another reliable option on the offensive end of the floor. When healthy, Gallinari could be the Cavaliers’ second-best scorer next to Love. In his nine-year stint in the NBA, the 30-year-old small forward averaged 15.3 points and 4.7 rebounds on 41.9 percent shooting from the field and 36.7 percent from beyond the arc.
