With LeBron James' status for 2018-19 up in the air—will he stay or will he go?—the Cleveland Cavaliers are doing what they can to improve their roster. Per a new report, the Cavs are considering trades for two All-Stars.
Those All-Stars: Kawhi Leonard and Kemba Walker.
The Cavs' two most valuable trade chips are the No. 8 draft pick and Kevin Love. The value of that pick will diminish greatly once the draft is over, so the Cavs may look to make a move before Thursday night (the draft kicks off at 7 p.m. EST on ESPN).
"[The Cavs] are taking calls from teams looking to move up in the draft via trade, and are seeking proven NBA vets whose presence would both improve the roster and be enticing to James," writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. "Cleveland has in fact inquired about Kawhi Leonard’s availability from the Spurs, among others, and league sources suggested Charlotte's Kemba Walker could be in play for the Cavs."
Last week, a report surfaced stating Kawhi wanted out of San Antonio—and he would prefer to end up in Los Angeles. Kawhi, however, reportedly likes L.A. so much that other teams are hesitant to make a major offer for him. The Spurs star's contract is up in a year—how much do you really want to give up for what could be a one-year rental?
Kemba, meanwhile, has long been considered one of the NBA's most enticing trade chips. He makes only $12 million a year, and that's quite a bargain for a 28-year-old All-Star point guard. Kemba, however, also only has one year left on his contract.
Per Vardon's report, the Cavs have no idea whether LeBron will come back to The Land—because he himself doesn't know. Vegas oddsmakers—and other prominent figures around the league—seem to believe King James is headed to Hollywood.
