The Cavaliers still haven’t found the move that changes their summer, but a smaller trade could be the one that finally gets Cleveland unstuck.
After Dean Wade and Keon Ellis both walked out of Cleveland to start free agency, the Cavs have spent a quiet offseason searching for real help. The run to the Eastern Conference Finals raised the bar, but the roster has not moved forward yet. Mario Hezonja adds size and shooting on the wing, but the departures of Wade and Ellis still leave a clear opening for more depth.
That’s where Dennis Schröder keeps coming back into the picture. His $14.8 million contract has surfaced in trade discussions, and moving part of that money could be the key to unlocking a bigger swing later. Cleveland has been linked to Peyton Watson and Jonathan Kuminga, but landing either one would almost certainly require shedding salary first so the Cavs can create enough room and then re-sign James Harden.
Charlotte may offer the cleanest path. The Hornets have been mentioned as a team with interest in Schröder, though their roster situation means they would need to waive two players before any deal can be completed. If Cleveland can give Charlotte enough incentive to make those moves, the Cavaliers could open up the flexibility they need to chase Watson or Kuminga more aggressively.
One possible route would bring Royce O'Neale to Cleveland. The Hornets recently acquired him from the Phoenix Suns, and he fits what the Cavaliers are missing: dependable three-point shooting and physical defense on the wing. In the proposed deal, Cleveland would send Schröder to Charlotte, take back $3.9 million in additional salary, and include a 2030 First-Round Pick Swap.
For Charlotte, the return would be a veteran point guard to help replace LaMelo Ball after his departure this summer. For Cleveland, it would be a cost-saving move that still adds a useful player and keeps the books more manageable.
O'Neale’s numbers from last season show why he makes sense. He averaged 9.8 points per game for the Suns while shooting 40.8 percent on 6.7 three-point attempts per game.
At 6-foot-6 and built for contact, he gives the Cavs a sturdier 3-and-D option than they currently have on the wing. Pairing him with Jaylon Tyson and Max Strus would give Cleveland more flexibility, and with Hezonja listed at 6-foot-8, the Cavaliers could put together bigger lineups with Tyson and O'Neale on the wing and Hezonja at the four.
This is not the splashiest outcome Cleveland has been chasing. Watson and Kuminga are the bigger prizes.
But O'Neale has long been on the Cavs’ radar, including in past conversations involving Isaac Okoro when O'Neale was with the Brooklyn Nets. There’s also a built-in connection with Donovan Mitchell, since the two played together in Mitchell’s Utah Jazz days and have stayed close.
That kind of familiarity matters, especially with training camp approaching. Cleveland has spent enough time waiting on a larger deal to know that patience alone won’t fix the roster. A move like this would not just add a useful wing - it could give the Cavaliers the financial breathing room to keep working on the bigger plan.
In Other News...
Cavaliers Could Be Pulled Into A Lakers Trade Shakeup
The Lakers are still above the regular-season roster limit, and the front office appears to be working through another round of moves to trim the group before the season settles in. Dalton Knecht and Jarred Vanderbilt have both surfaced in trade chatter, and the broader framework of those talks has started to pull in more than just Los Angeles, with Brooklyn and Detroit also mentioned as part of the discussion.
For Cleveland, the interest is in how far this kind of roster reshuffle could reach if the talks keep gaining traction. A four-team structure would create room for multiple teams to solve different needs at once, and the Cavaliers have been linked to the conversation in a way that makes the next step worth watching closely, even if the full shape of the deal is still being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
James Harden Just Gained Serious Leverage Over The Cavaliers
James Hardens decision to decline his $42.3 million player option was framed as a move that could help Cleveland create the financial flexibility needed to chase outside help. It was the kind of signal front offices love to point to in the early stages of an offseason, especially when a team is trying to thread the needle between keeping a star in place and improving the roster around him.
But the market has not broken Clevelands way yet, and that leaves Harden in a stronger position than the Cavaliers probably expected when the option decision was made. With the additions they pursued still not in place, media reports suggest he could push for a richer contract, while the Cavaliers are still believed to want him back and are preparing to work toward a new deal. [Read more 🡒]
Jarrett Allen Trade Talk Ignores What The Cavs Could Really Lose
With the Cavaliers weighing ways to trim salary, Jarrett Allen has inevitably surfaced in the conversation. That makes sense on paper, since his contract is one of the bigger ones on the roster, but it also misses the larger point of what Cleveland would be giving up if it chose that path. Allen remains central to what the Cavs do best, and his presence has helped anchor their most effective lineups.
The appeal of moving money is obvious, especially for a team trying to manage its future flexibility, but Allen is not just a movable number. He is one of Clevelands most important on-court pieces, and his deal looks reasonable for the level of production he has provided. If the front office is serious about staying competitive, the harder question may not be whether Allen has trade value, but whether the Cavaliers can afford to lose what he means to their identity. [Read more 🡒]