NBA Trade Rumors: With the desire to add a backup point guard, the Cleveland Cavaliers could reportedly target Shelvin Mack and Jameer Nelson
It’s pretty clear that the Cleveland Cavaliers need a backup point guard. If not watching them alone is enough to persuade you, perhaps LeBron James screaming at the front office for one will do the trick.
Either way, it’s something that will likely be addressed before the NBA’s Trade Deadline. The problem is, it’s one thing to desire a quality backup floor general, it’s an entirely different thing to find the right fit.
For the Cavs, that seems to be the issue. However, assuming the Cavs are not comfortable with signing Mario Chalmers, who is still recovering from a torn Achilles injury, or a veteran like Norris Cole, who was last seeing playing in China, there are reportedly two options for Cleveland in the trade market.
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According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, those options include Utah’s Shelvin Mack and Denver’s Jameer Nelson.
"[via ESPN]The simpler option for the reigning champions, as opposed to a Melo-sized blockbuster deal, might prove to be a smaller swap in which the Cavaliers absorb the salary of a veteran point guard into their $4.4 million Anderson Varejao trade exception that expires Feb. 20. Sources say one vet known to interest the Cavs — one who possesses a salary that would fit into that exception — is Utah’s Shelvin Mack at $2.4 million. Mack, according to sources, is most definitely available. The Cavs, though, would be forced to use the $4.8 million trade exception they just created in the Kyle Korver deal (with an expiration date of Jan. 7, 2018) to absorb the salary of Denver’s Jameer Nelson, who is said to be another Cleveland target but makes $4.5 million this season."
Both Mack and Nelson would be solid options for the Cavs, but still wouldn’t exactly qualify for the “playmaker” that LeBron is calling for – at least in my opinion.
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Still, solidifying the backup point guard position is important. And if Mack or Nelson is the best that Cleveland can do in the trade market, it’s probably better than standing pat. Question is, would LeBron be fine with either one of these smaller moves?