Cleveland Cavaliers: Tyreke Evans is the hero LeBron deserves

Tyreke Evans is the hero that the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James deserve

It’s no secret that the Cleveland Cavaliers are going through a mid-season lull. It happens every year during the dog days period between Christmas Day and before the All-Star break.

LeBron and company have lost 10 of their last 15 games, and their team chemistry isn’t quite rock bottom, but its the pitch-black freezing-temperature part of the ocean, low. Kevin Love, when he’s healthy, is playing sarcastic basketball out of frustration and the Cavs are holding players only meetings trying to figure out how to get rid of this monkey on their backs.

The simple answer is winning. Winning solves everything, but easier said then done. Who could help drown their sorrows by turning more games from the “L” column to the “W” column before the February 8th deadline?

"“He’s a silent guardian, a watchful protector, a Tyreke Evans.”"

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Coach Ty Lue made a change to the starting lineup last week by switching Jae Crowder with Tristan Thompson. In my eyes, that is not where the help needs to come from. Isaiah Thomas since coming back has looked well below average. His legs don’t have the same spring to them and he’s wildly less explosive which doesn’t allow him to finish at the rim like he did in Boston last year.

Without his offense and until he’s healthy, IT is a “5-foot-9” liability on both ends of the floor. Compounding this defensive struggle with a slumping J.R. Smith at shooting guard is a recipe for giving up a lot of points. Both are in the bottom tier in the league at guarding combo guards.

The Cavaliers defensive backcourt should be the main priority before February 8th.

Enter Cleveland’s Hero: Tyreke Evans.

Tyreke is a big, strong combo guard who is ultra versatile defensively. The name of the game in the year 2018 is versatility. Players must be able to guard multiple positions and be able to switch onto bigger/ smaller players. At 6-foot-6, 220 lbs, Evans is a monster physically.

Cleveland would be killing multiple birds with one stone with Tyreke. Not only are they getting a 6-foot-6 long defender who can guard one through four, but offensively they are getting a scoring playmaker off the bench when LeBron needs a break (which isn’t much but you know).

Evans’ player efficiency rating is the best it’s ever been in his career (21.8). He is averaging 19.5 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game in Memphis. He is a mismatch nightmare with how well he handles the ball. His handles are sneakily in the top-tier of NBA guards.

Another of the multiple birds that the Cavs would be killing with one stone is his contract. Depending on what they give up for Tyreke, Cleveland will be putting money into their pockets. Evans is only making $3.2 million this season, which is one of the friendliest contacts in the NBA based off a players production.

From the Memphis Grizzlies vantage point, Mike Conley was just announced to be out for the remainder of the season with an injury. This pretty much makes their tanking situation permanent, but what better way to ensure that your 18 win season gets even worse (better)? Trade away your valuable players for future young assets or draft picks. Not only does this mean they will get something good for Tyreke (targeting a first round pick), but also Marc Gasol should be a player that Memphis looks to get value out of.

This potential trade allows the Grizzlies to stop being the middle man. Get out of the four year plateau of sneaking into the Western Conference playoffs as an 8 seed only to get swept by the Warriors/Spurs and get stuck with a non-lottery draft pick. They will all of a sudden have an identity. It is an identity of a young rebuilding team, but at least it will be something new.

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Getting Tyreke Evans to Cleveland allows IT’s “slow grind” to become a molasses grind. No need to rush thrusting Isaiah into the starting lineup too early or play him 25 plus minutes anymore. Coach Lue could rely on Tyreke to run the offense and make plays with that starters at the point, simultaneously plugging IT into the lineup here and there until playoff time.

This trade takes a load off of LeBron’s shoulders offensively by having a serious playmaker scorer, and also vastly improves the backcourt defense down the stretch.