The Cavaliers have spent the opening stretch of the offseason watching the board tilt away from them.
While the Eastern Conference has already seen major names move - Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat and Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers - Cleveland has mostly stood still. The Cavs lost two of their own free agents on the first day of free agency, with Keon Ellis and Dean Wade both moving on. Then, on day two, one of Cleveland’s biggest rumored trade targets, Jaylen Brown, was shipped out of Boston.
For now, everything in Cleveland still points back to LeBron James and his next move. The Cavaliers are not expected to make a major push until James has signed a new contract, whether that ends up being with Cleveland or somewhere else. Even so, the team has been active in trade discussions, trying to trim salary while keeping its Finals hopes alive and avoiding a return to the second apron this season.
That leaves two veteran names floating around the market most often: Max Strus and Dennis Schröder.
Schröder’s $14.8 million salary is manageable on paper, but the luxury-tax aprons make him a tougher piece to move. Cleveland would likely need to attach more to get a deal done.
Strus is a different kind of asset. He’s due $16.6 million next season, and his 40.2 percent shooting from three last season gives him obvious value as an offensive weapon.
At 30, the wing has become one of the Cavaliers’ most important connective pieces over his three seasons with the franchise. But because his contract is expiring, he also represents Cleveland’s best trade chip that doesn’t require blowing up the core four. If the Cavs want to clear enough space to chase more help in free agency and make room for LeBron, moving Strus is the cleanest path.
The problem, of course, is that Cleveland probably doesn’t want to lose him.
If the Cavaliers do decide to deal Strus, they’d need to find another wing who can help them stay in the mix. That’s where a familiar trade partner could come back into the picture: the LA Clippers.
The Clippers already made one of the summer’s biggest moves, with Kawhi Leonard rejoining his last championship franchise in the Toronto Raptors. That deal brought back a haul of future picks - two unprotected first-rounders, a first-round swap and two second-round picks - with the firsts landing in the early 2030s and the seconds following that same timeline. LA has clearly shifted toward a youth movement led by former Cavalier All-Star Darius Garland and rookie guard Keaton Wagler.
That setup makes the Clippers a logical match for Cleveland again. The two teams have already done business recently, and their current goals line up neatly: LA wants more draft capital and a young core, while Cleveland needs to reduce salary without falling out of contention.
A swap built around Derrick Jones, Jr. checks those boxes.
Jones would make $6.2 million less than Strus next season, and both players are on expiring deals. The Clippers would pick up another draft asset and add a veteran presence for a young group. Cleveland, meanwhile, would get a cheaper wing who still brings real two-way value.
Jones put up 10.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1 block per game last season with the Clippers. His athleticism stands out immediately, especially on those backdoor cuts and lob finishes that make him such a dangerous finisher around the rim. He has already shown chemistry with Cavs’ James Harden from their time together, and even though he shot 35.9 percent on 3.1 threes per game, his overall scoring punch would give Cleveland a legitimate threat off the bench or in the starting lineup.
He also brings the kind of defensive versatility the Cavaliers keep chasing. Per Bball-Index, Jones ranks in the 83rd percentile for Defensive Positional Versatility.
He’s not an immovable force, but at 6-foot-6 with quick feet, he would give Cleveland one of its better perimeter and isolation defenders almost immediately. More than that, he would fill a long-running need for a true point-of-attack defender who can still contribute on offense.
Losing Strus would sting. But if Cleveland is serious about reshaping the roster without tearing it down, this is the kind of deal that makes too much sense to pass up.
The Cavaliers need salary relief and a player who can help right now. The Clippers need another piece for the future.
On paper, it’s a trade that works for both sides.
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