NBA Rumors: Roy Hibbert for Dion Waiters Fills Both Team’s Voids

According to Jordan Webb of HNGN.com and Tyler Spence of Sports Talk, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers have engaged in trade talks. At the heart of the rumored deal is a swap of embattled center Roy Hibbert for shooting guard Dion Waiters.

Spence provided the details below:

"“Following the Keith Bogans trade, the Cavaliers contacted the Pacers to inquire about Roy Hibbert. The Pacers would want Dion Waiters in return, however, the players that would be involved are not fully known,” Spence told HNGN Sports in an email Monday morning. “Latest from a source was that Waiters, Haywood, and a 1st had been offered, however, they would need to add players or other teams to make salaries work. Cavs may be reluctant to give up Dion as well, so this deal is still far from imminent, but does have a realistic shot at happening.”"

Evan Massey of InkOnIndy received similar information from a source:

Take this with a grain of salt.

Hibbert has been at the heart of trade rumors since his production began to fall off of a cliff. Dion Waiters has been a rumored trade asset in the past, as well, which makes them easy targets.

Nevertheless, it’s a path worth exploring.

For Indiana, a void exists. It’s not one that holds importance in the short-term, but it is significant in the long-run.

For Cleveland, the void is immediate and glaring.

Interior Defense

The Cleveland Cavaliers have a roster that perfectly balances star-caliber scorers and a steady supporting cast. That supporting cast includes championship experience, relentlessness on the glass and 3-point marksmanship.

The one thing Cleveland lacks: interior defense.

Enter Roy Hibbert.

Hibbert fell out of favor in 2013-14 after his production hit a steep decline. He failed to score a point in four separate playoff games and didn’t grab a rebound in two.

According to NBA.com, Hibbert also had the best opponent field goal percentage at the rim in the entire league.

For all of his flaws, Hibbert remains one of the game’s premier defensive players. He was second team All-Defense in 2014 and alters shots as well as any player across the NBA.

On a team where his offense would be of minimal importance, Hibbert would be a perfect fit.

Cleveland masks Hibbert’s flaws: inconsistent scoring and lackluster rebounding. On the glass, Kevin Love and Anderson Varejao are elite presences and Tristan Thompson is beyond proficient.

As for the scoring issue, the combination of Kyrie Irving, LeBron James and Love have that covered. All Hibbert needs to do on offense is flirt with double-figures as a fourth or fifth option.

With Hibbert defending the rim, the Cavaliers would have a complete roster. Its status as the championship favorites would only grow.

Filling Lance Stephenson’s Void

The Indiana Pacers were hit hard by losing Lance Stephenson to free agency. Paul George‘s injury insures they’ll take a step backwards, but Stephenson was becoming a genuine star.

Dion Waiters may not be on the same level, but his potential is noteworthy and his scoring is dynamic.

Indiana is a defensive-minded team, but the team that scores more points still wins games. After ranking No. 24 in scoring offense, the Pacers must surround George with a cast of players who will ease the overwhelming pressure.

Waiters can be that type of player.

At 22 years old, Waiters averaged 15.9 points on 43.3 percent shooting from the field and 36.8 percent from 3-point range. After the All-Star Break, Waiters tallied 19.0 points on a slash line of .460/.379/.714 in 22 games.

That’s a limited sample size, but it’s one worth exploring.

Waiters can attack off the bounce or convert from beyond the arc. He pushes the ball in transition, passes relatively well and brings a combination of skills to the table that Indiana currently lacks with George sidelined.

Along with getting Roy Hibbert’s massive contract off the books, this swap doesn’t look too bad for the Pacers.

Why It Won’t Happen

With every trade, there is a measure of risk that either makes or breaks the potential deal. It differs for both sides in this instance, with both money and schematics coming into play.

For Cleveland, it’s the money.

The Cavaliers already have mega money tied up in LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. Kevin Love will sign a max contract this summer, whether it’s with Cleveland or elsewhere.

Hibbert has a 2015-16 player option for $15,514,031. Things could change between now and then, but at this moment, Hibbert wouldn’t make that kind of money on a new deal.

Thus, the most likely result will be his opting in to make as much money as he can before structuring a new contract.

With Love needing a new deal and Kyrie Irving nearing the same point in his career, the Cavaliers can’t afford to add another mega-money player to the mix; not with the type of risk Hibbert brings in terms of consistent production.

For Indiana, Waiters is a good player with great upside, but there’s a chance that he doesn’t pan out. He could be of the same mold as the player whom the Pacers recently acquired: Rodney Stuckey.

That’s a valuable player to have, but it doesn’t rival Hibbert’s value to the Pacers.

Hibbert may not be the most productive center, but he’s an elite defensive anchor for a defensive-minded team. Fans may not believe in him, but replacing a rim protector who stands at 7’2″ and 290 pounds is a lot harder than finding a quality scorer.

Simply, this trade would fill voids for both teams, but it’d also create new question marks. That level of risk makes it unlikely that either side will come to terms on a trade.

If the complementary pieces add up, however, this is a deal worth discussing.