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5 Players the Cleveland Cavaliers Should Consider Trading This Offseason

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5 Players the Cleveland Cavaliers Should Consider Trading This Offseason

Cleveland Cavaliers
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Even if it doesn't end with a championship, a lot of good has come out of this playoff run by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Injuries have forced certain players into larger roles, allowing them to increase their value, while diminishing the value of others and making them expendable. The Cavaliers have an opportunity this offseason to capitalize on that by moving the following players.

5. Brendan Haywood

Brendan Haywood - Cleveland Cavaliers
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5. Brendan Haywood

Brendan Haywood - Cleveland Cavaliers
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Haywood is eating up over 2 million dollars in salary at the end of the Cavaliers' bench. He appeared in just 22 games and averaged about five minutes per game. Now that some of the younger players on this roster have playoff experience, Haywood's value drops. At 35 years old, there likely won't be a high demand for Haywood, but the Cavaliers would be wise to dump him and at least fill his spot with somebody who may actually contribute.

4. Anderson Varejao

Anderson Varejao - Cleveland Cavaliers
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4. Anderson Varejao

Anderson Varejao - Cleveland Cavaliers
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Varejao's season ended in mid-December with an injury to his Achilles. By the time next season starts, he'll have been out of action for almost 11 months. The personnel has also changed and Varejao has yet to play a single minute with any of them. There's some uncertainly as to how Varejao will fit in and whether there will be any chemistry. Given the acquisition and successful play of Timofey Mozgov, Varejao has become expendable.

3. Iman Shumpert

Iman Shumpert - Cleveland Cavaliers
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3. Iman Shumpert

Iman Shumpert - Cleveland Cavaliers
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Shumpert's offense is overrated. He's purely a spot-up shooter with a wildly inconsistent jump shot. He shined as a defender in New York, but nobody could defend on that Knicks team so he may have been a bit overvalued. Though he is a solid defensive player, his production and worth to the Cavaliers has been overstated. Cleveland should move on from him and look for a role player with a little more capabilities on offense.

2. Matthew Dellavedova

Matthew Dellavedova - Cleveland Cavaliers
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2. Matthew Dellavedova

Matthew Dellavedova - Cleveland Cavaliers
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Dellavedova's hustle and effort can sometimes mask his talent deficiency. There are teams out there that will likely overreact to some of Dellavedova's performances this postseason. It's happened before. A role player has some stellar performances during the playoffs and appear more valuable than they actually are -- see Gary Neal. Cleveland may be able to get a little more than Dellavedova is truly worth in return.

1. Tristan Thompson

Tristan Thompson - Cleveland Cavaliers
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1. Tristan Thompson

Tristan Thompson - Cleveland Cavaliers
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If Kevin Love opts in, Cleveland should explore moving Thompson. His minutes will decrease and it's easy to believe that his production will as well. Thompson's stock is currently at an all-time high courtesy of his performance in the playoffs. He has excelled as a starter but will likely move back to a bench role with the presence of Love. Thompson's skill set is one that is desired by many teams and could land a first-round pick in exchange.

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