The NBA trade deadline will loom large for the next couple of weeks and some have already tagged one member of the Cleveland Cavaliers being trade bait.
Guard Lonzo Ball has been mentioned as a possible trade chip. However, we’ll have to wait and see if the Cavs do anything at all or simply opt to stand pat without making any deals.
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Cavs fans may argue against the latter option, given the team’s lackluster 25-20 record (No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference). They need to do something (ANYTHING!!!) to turn it around. That’s the expectation you set when a team wins more than 60 games in a season as the Cavs did a year ago.
But they may be seriously constrained by the past acquisition of guard Donovan Mitchell prior to the 2022 season. Moreover, do fans have any idea of who this team is?
Jan 19, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) during the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
The Cavs have been inconsistent. But is that due to injury, lack of chemistry, lack of depth or something else?
Ultimately, what will a trade do for them? Keep in mind, the NBA season is long — perhaps too long — and some say it begins Christmas Day. From past experience, it actually begins about … now … with the sprint coming after the trade deadline.
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Beyond Ball, who or what could the Cavs offer? Right now, tradeable assets — meaning draft picks — are slim. Here’s how the team’s picks shake out of the next couple of years, keeping in mind the Cavs do not own their own pick outright until 2030.
The rest are convoluted draft pick swaps that could give a headache upon analysis.
The Cavs currently have the 28th pick in the 2026 NBA draft
Guard Jaylon Tyson #20 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots over guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Rocket Arena on January 19, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Keep in mind, this draft position is subject to change. But better to bottom line things as opposed to causing confusion. The Cavs, due to a complicated cocktail of pick swap rights with their 2026 first-rounder, will have to wait and see where the pick winds up. The San Antonio Spurs, the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference at the time of writing, have pick swap rights with Cleveland in 2026.
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Regardless, it’s safe to say the selection will continue to be a late first rounder.
The Cavs draft assets’ diminishing returns
The Cavs don’t possess a first-round pick in 2027 nor in 2029. Their 2028 selection is again convoluted with a mix of pick swap rules including the Utah Jazz and Atlanta Hawks. They have second-round picks in each of the next three years, so perhaps they could find a buy-low bench option via trade if they send out one or two of those second rounders.
As it stands, though, the Cavs don’t have a ton of draft capital they can use in trade talks ahead of the deadline. After playing below expectations to start the 2025-26 season, perhaps Cleveland will merely have to hope injury woes clear up and the magic from last year under coach Kenny Atkinson returns.
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George M. Thomas covers a myriad of things including sports and pop culture, but mostly sports, he thinks, for the Beacon Journal.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: What could the Cavs do ahead of the NBA trade deadline?