The Cleveland Cavaliers finally took a step in the right direction last season, making the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2018. However this offseason has been extremely quiet for them.Â
They were in the mix for LeBron James, but he ended up signing with the 76ers. They were not in on the Giannis Antetokounmpo or Jaylen Brown sweepstakes. They have been looking at wing upgrades, most notably Jonathan Kuminga and Peyton Watson.Â
The Cavs are trying to keep pace in the East next season, as the conference is set to be a bloodbath. There is one blockbuster move out there that could make a lot of sense as a potential deadline move.
Cleveland could look into acquiring Kevin Durant from Houston
There were rumblings at the beginning of the summer about the Rockets considering major roster moves, but that came and went fairly quickly. It looks like at least to start the season, Houston will keep their core roster together.
The Cavs had interest in Durant last summer when the Suns made him available for trade. Cleveland was just not willing to part with Darius Garland at the time, as they wanted Phoenix to attach draft picks to Durant as well.
Why is this notable? Because if Houston gets off to a slow start, those same rumors could pop up again. Additionally, if the Cavs feel like they need more star power to compete in the East, then Durant should be at the top of their list.
Durant is still one of the best scorers in the league. He is a walking 25 points per game on elite-level efficiency and even as he gets older, he still remains a solid enough defender. It also helps that he has played with James Harden before and Donovan Mitchell’s skillset fits in perfectly with Durant.Â
The addition of Durant would give Cleveland three elite scorers and isolation players, which is a huge part of playoff basketball. However, a move for the future hall of famer would require significant salary cap gymnastics.Â
It would also likely mean parting with Jarrett Allen, since Harden, Mitchell, and Evan Mobley would likely be off the table. The Rockets are also set in their frontcourt with Sengun, so it would also probably mean rerouting Allen to a third team.
A Durant move likely won’t happen soon, but it is something to keep in mind as the season goes on. If he does end up being available for trade, then the Cavs make a ton of sense.
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