The Cleveland Cavaliers have been linked to a very intriguing trade.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been quite busy this offseason, adding pieces like Lonzo Ball and Larry Nance Jr. to a roster that was already good enough to win 64 games last season.
However, the Cavaliers are currently dealing with some injury issues, as Darius Garland will be sidelined early on as he recovers from toe surgery and Max Strus will be out for the first few months thanks to a foot injury.
As a result, Cleveland could afford to add a bit more depth to begin the season, especially seeing as how banged up the Cavs have been in their last couple of playoff runs.
Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz has zeroed in on a rather compelling trade target for the Cavaliers in order to fill the void left by Strus, advising them to pursue Washington Wizards wing Corey Kispert.
Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert. Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images."Corey Kispert could fill a lot of what Strus brings to the table. Kispert, 26, is a 6'7" wing who specializes in stretching the floor," Swartz wrote. "After averaging 12.1 points on 39.1 percent shooting from three over the past three years with the Washington Wizards, Kispert could serve as a starting three or backup forward for the Cavs."
Kispert actually took a bit of a step back last season, logging 11.6 points and three rebounds over 26.3 minutes per game on 45.1/36.4/85.2 shooting splits across 61 contests. However, he has shown in the past that he is a very reliable perimeter threat.
Back during the 2022-23 campaign, Kispert buried 42.4 percent of his long-distance tries, and in 2023-24, he canned 38.3 percent of his treys while averaging a career-high 13.4 points per game.
Considering that the Cavaliers already have more than enough offensive firepower (particularly once Garland gets back on the floor), Kispert could serve as a very valuable depth addition.
The primary downside to Kispert, though, is that he is not a very good defender. Cleveland already has to find ways to hide Garland when he is on the floor, so having to do that with Kispert as well wouldn't exactly be ideal for head coach Kenny Atkinson.
But, in a pinch, Kispert would comprise a very solid acquisition to bolster the offense.