THE The Cleveland Cavaliers have been very quiet throughout the NBA offseason. Most of their moves have been internal contract extensions.
Of course, those extensions went to star guard Donovan Mitchell, rising star forward Evan Mobley and key center Jarrett Allen.
While it was important to make those three deals, the Cavaliers could use more. They didn’t add any talent to their core from last season.
At this point in the offseason, the trade market is the only real way to get an impact player. One name to watch could be Toronto Raptors veteran winger Bruce Brown.
Brown was a key part of the Denver Nuggets’ title run a few years ago. He is known for being an aggressive defender and a good offensive complement. That skill set would fit well with Cleveland’s needs.
Adding an elite defender would be a very smart move. With teams like the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference, teams simply can’t have enough defense.
During the 2023-24 NBA season, split between the Indiana Pacers and Raptors, Brown finished with an average of 10.8 points per game, along with 4.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists. He shot 47.8% of his shots and connected on 32.3% of his three-point attempts.
Those numbers would be very good whether in the starting lineup or coming off the bench for the Cavaliers.
What could a potential trade between Cleveland and Toronto look like? Let’s take a look at one possible offer that could be made.
Cleveland Cavaliers receive: Bruce Brown, 2025 second-round pick via Portland
Toronto Raptors host: Caris LeVert, Dean Wade
Brown would be an upgrade over LeVert in terms of fitness. They would lose some talent on offense, but the addition of defensive players would more than make up for it.
Losing Wade would eliminate some depth for the Cavaliers. However, they could easily sign a player to replace him. Adding a second-round pick would give them future assets to use in another trade or to add a young player on a cheap deal.
This is pure speculation, but it’s a move that could make sense for Cleveland. Brown’s game would fill some of the Cavaliers’ needs. At the very least, it’s an idea to change something.
