The Cleveland Cavaliers have a very solid season and promising future ahead of them. there isn’t much more they need at the moment. But in the event that Zion Williamson becomes available, they should pursue him.
Williamson doesn’t seem to be at home with the New Orleans Pelicans. The team still has control over him contract-wise, so there isn’t too much incentive to trade him right now. However, every team has its eyes on the Pelicans to monitor the situation. Williamson shut down trade rumors but nothing is set in stone, especially not the Instagram DM Williamson used to declare his. loyalty to the franchise.
The most important thing in any potential Williamson deal is for the Cavs not to trade Darius Garland or Evan Mobley. Both of them should be undoubtedly off-limits, no questions asked. It may cost the Cavs Jarrett Allen to land the 2021 All-Star, but it may be worth it. Williamson has legitimate superstar potential that can help the Cavs compete for titles for years.
2 reasons Cavs must trade for Zion Williamson this offseason
He provides much-needed offense
The Cavs rank 19th in the NBA in offensive rating and rely heavily on their strong offensive rebounding to generate points. Although they will presumably get Collin Sexton back next season, they might need more in order to be a truly good offense. Williamson is about as good of a remedy as any young player could be. Last season, he was. eight in the NBA in scoring with 27.0 points per game, which he scored on 61.1 percent shooting.
The pairing of Williamson and Garland, in particular, would be masterful. Both players do damage from different parts of the court with Williamson being one of the league’s best interior scorers and Garland able to shoot from long distances very effectively. Those skills would pull defenses apart like a kid unwrapping Christmas presents.
Next to Mobley, who is tearing up the game as a rookie, Williamson would have a lob target and passer. The trio of youngsters would be fantastic offensively. The Cavs would just have to surround them with shooters in order to have one of the most exciting offenses in the league. Whether they keep Sexton or move him, their offense would be much improved with one of the most ferocious slashers in the league.
He is young enough to be a key building block
The Cavs are building something special thanks to their young core. Usually, when teams trade for stars, it comes at the cost of moving up their title window. No such risk would happen if the Cavs traded for the 21-year-old Williamson.
Before the Cavs offer Allen for Williamson, they should look to offload any other young player not named Garland or Mobley and every pick and pick swap they can. Cleveland’s three-big lineup would be astounding and it would allow the roster to keep its chemistry with their stars. Allen would also cover for Williamson’s defensive shortcomings.
Unfortunately, the Pelicans may look for a good young player in exchange for Williamson. The Cavs would certainly be taking a risk by shipping off Allen, a 23-year-old with a predominately clean bill of health that developed into a star, for the injury-riddled Williamson. The reward, though, would reach extreme heights.
Swapping Allen for Williamson is only a risk because of Zion’s health, which has been brutally inconsistent in his short career. When both players are on the court, it’s easy to see that Williamson commands the game much better. Cleveland would make out like bandits to keep Allen in a trade. But they shouldn’t expect to. If they do have to give up their young All-Star center, they can sleep well knowing they got a young All-Star power forward in return.