The Cleveland Cavaliers are expected to make moves before the trade deadline on Thursday with sources saying that interim general manager David Griffin will be very aggressive in the coming days.
According to a report, Griffin would like to put his own stamp on the Cavaliers either by trading for future assets that could play a big role in their rebuilding or acquiring an impact player that could help them advance to the playoffs this season.
"Expect David Griffin to make some type of trade by Thursday's deadline," Plain Dealer insider Terry Pluto said. "Griffin also would love to have the interim title taken away from his name, and he works for an owner Dan Gilbert who wants his general manager to be aggressive."
Luol Deng's name is expected to be mentioned in several trade talks in the coming days. The Cavaliers acquired Deng last month in a trade with the Chicago Bulls, but sources said that the Cavs could deal the veteran forward again in hopes of acquiring a young asset or a high draft pick in the highly anticipated 2014 NBA Draft.
"Deng's name hasn't come up very much in trade rumors recently, but that's likely to change in the days to come. As Griffin tries to put his own fingerprints on the Cavaliers, rival executives believe that his best move would be trading away the team's veterans and trying to land a top pick in the 2014 NBA Draft," Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders noted.
Previous reports indicated that Deng, who is averaging 17.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game this season, is expected to be pursued by the Phoenix Suns, Charlotte Bobcats, Washington Wizards, and the Detroit Pistons.
Meanwhile, Dion Waiters is also expected to become a subject of trade rumors before the Feb. 20 deadline.
Waiters has been in and out of the trading block. Rumors indicated that the Cavaliers are bound to trade the sophomore guard after a falling out with star point guard Kyrie Irving, but Pluto indicated that the Cavs are leaning towards keeping the former Syracuse standout - unless given a "monster deal."
"I doubt the Cavs will deal Waiters, unless it's in a monster deal. They believe he is just starting to understand how to play the NBA game," Pluto reported.
