Fansided

Turning over the Cavaliers roster in five trades

By Paul Centopani

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 2: Kevin Love #0 of the Cleveland Cavaliers, second from right, sits on the bench with his team during the preseason game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on October 2, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 2: Kevin Love #0 of the Cleveland Cavaliers, second from right, sits on the bench with his team during the preseason game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on October 2, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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Cleveland Cavaliers
(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Everything was a disaster in 2017 for the Grizzlies as injuries derailed a solid team. So far this year, Memphis has rebounded. Their stars are healthy, they landed Jaren Jackson Jr. in the draft and appear to be a playoff contender.

However, they could use an infusion of scoring, especially coming off the bench. The Grizzlies rank 28th in points per game and only have one player (Mike Conley) putting up more than 15 a night.

This past offseason, they signed Kyle Anderson to a moderate four-year deal. Through 10 games though, it’s looking like it might have been overzealous on the Grizzlies’ part. He’s a glue guy, but averaging six points and six rebounds doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in a long-term commitment for about $9 million per season. Teams like Memphis can’t afford to miss on free agents like that, considering they already have the Chandler Parsons albatross hanging from their neck.

Enter Cleveland and Jordan Clarkson. While Clarkson’s been disparaged by most of #NBATwitter and makes about 50 percent more per season than Anderson, his deal runs out in 2020. Plus, he provides that microwave scoring ability the Grizzlies could desperately use.

Sure, Clarkson’s been shown to be a sieve on defense, but Memphis allows the fewest points per game in the NBA. They can blend him into their system and reap the benefits on the other end. Clarkson’s enjoying his best season to date by effective field goal percentage, per-36 scoring, and offensive rating, all would be welcome developments for a team in need of buckets.

Since Anderson was signed as a free agent this summer, this fake proposal comes with the caveat of needing to wait for Dec. 15 in order to make the trade.

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