Cavs Dion Waiters being shopped according to Chris Broussard

Much of this speculation is due to the recent rumors that there was a physical altercation between Waiters and Kyrie Irving in a players only meeting.  If the Cleveland Cavaliers are indeed in talks to move Dion Waiters, it seems to be more about fit than it does player chemistry.

To this point, Waiters needs the ball to be effective.  He tends to be pretty underwhelming when the ball is not in his hands and does not work to get open and create opportunities.  Irving is the team’s franchise player and point guard so they want him to bring the ball up the floor.

When Waiters was drafted, the Cavs envisioned a situation where either player could drive the paint and attack the basket while having the range to hit long range shots.  They can both do that, but they just have not meshed well together and Waiters does not play well off of Irving when Irving has the ball.  Waiters has demonstrated he has talent and can score in bunches, but he is inconsistent because of his effort without the ball, so he could prove valuable to the right team.  The Cavs, meanwhile, have a gaping hole at small forward, which could be what they would move Waiters to acquire.

It does seem peculiar that the Cavs would want to deal the second year Waiters who was the fourth overall pick in last year’s draft this early into his career, which would lend credibility to the idea that there are personal issues on this team that might not be able to be resolved.  Nevertheless, Waiters has maintained in public that the Cavs are a family.