The injury of star point guard Ricky Rubio in the first round of the Utah Jazz vs. Cleveland Cavaliers on April 2nd was a huge shock to everyone watching basketball because it forced head coach Tyronn Lue and his team into an emergency backup plan with Kyrie Irving taking over at point guard, leaving them devastated by their precarious situation and uncertain about how they can make up for lost ground come playoff time.
The “cleveland cavaliers trade news” is that the Cleveland Cavaliers are in desperate need of a major move before the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline. The injury scare to Ricky Rubio proves this point.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have been the most surprise team in the NBA this season, but they, like other teams this year, have had to overcome hardship. In addition to dealing with several players entering health and safety regulations, the Cavs lost Collin Sexton, the team’s leading scorer the previous two seasons, to a knee injury. In a game against the New Orleans Pelicans, backup point guard Ricky Rubio also sustained a serious knee injury.
Regardless of the seriousness of Rubio’s injury, the tragic circumstance has shown one thing: the Cavaliers must make a move before the trade deadline if they are to remain competitive this season.
This season, Ricky Rubio has been a surprise for the Cavs.
On December 28, 2021, Ricky Rubio of the Cleveland Cavaliers grabs his knee during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans. | Getty Images/Sean Gardner
While players like Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland have had All-Star-type seasons for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season, Ricky Rubio’s contribution off the bench has been crucial, particularly with Collin Sexton out for the season.
Rubio has averaging 13.1 points per game in his first 34 games with the Cavaliers, who are 20-14. In addition, he averages 6.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game. No, he’s not Sexton’s 20-point-per-game scorer, but the 11-year veteran understands his position and has stepped up for the Cavs when they needed him. In November, he scored 37 points against the New York Knicks, and he’s had three previous games with 25 or more points.
Rubio, though, suffered a knee injury in a recent defeat to the Pelicans, and his teammates had to assist him off the court. Given Garland’s health and safety regulations, the issue has Cavs fans worried, and it demonstrates that Cleveland has to be proactive at the trade deadline, regardless of the severity of Rubio’s knee.
At the trade deadline, the Cleveland Cavaliers must be active.
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The Cavs, who are already a big squad, are weak at guard as a result of Collin Sexton’s injury. They have Garland as their starter point guard, averaging 19.5 points and 7.3 assists, and Rubio as his backup. Aside from that, Cleveland’s starting shooting guard is second-year player Isaac Okoro, who averages 9.2 points per game, while Cedi Osman, who averages 11.5 points per game, comes off the bench.
They basically have no other scoring threats at guard save Garland and Rubio. Jarrett Allen (16.8 points per game), Evan Mobley (14.1 points), Lauri Markkanen (13.7 points), and Kevin Love are the rest of their scorers (13.2 points).
So, let’s say Garland or Rubio are forced to miss time throughout the season due to injuries or health and safety regulations. Cleveland, which is now ranked fifth in the Eastern Conference, has no other scoring options in the backcourt. It also lacks someone capable of leading the offensive. While Garland and Rubio (who each have over 6.5 assists per game) have done it with ease this season by delivering lobs to the big men and finding open teammates, no other player has more than 2.5 assists per game.
The Cavs must prepare for the possibility that Rubio or Garland may miss time. And they must do it before February 10, 2022, the NBA trade deadline.
At the NBA trade deadline in 2022, who can the Cleveland Cavaliers target?
@BullandFox’s @ShamsCharania “I believe the #Cavs are interested in Ben Simmons, but given the current state of the league, I don’t believe those sweepstakes are as fluid as they were 2-3 weeks ago. I believe it has been inactive for the last several weeks.”
December 28, 2021 — Keith Britton (@KeithBritton86)
So, if the Cavaliers decide to be buyers before the trade deadline, who should they target to add depth to their roster?
They’ve been said to be interested in Ben Simmons. He isn’t a shooter, but he is someone who can manufacture his own shot and regularly lead an attack. There’s also Caris LeVert, an Ohio native who the Cavs are allegedly interested in, or Buddy Hield, one of the league’s best shooters who the Sacramento Kings were close to trading to the Los Angeles Lakers this summer.
The Cavaliers hold ownership over all of their first-round selections in forthcoming NBA Drafts, according to ESPN. It’s difficult for a non-salary cap specialist to figure out how all of the money would work. As a result, they have enough of draft capital to invest in possible transactions.
Overall, the Cavs have enjoyed an incredible start to the season. They have looked like one of the top teams in the NBA when healthy this year, after being one of the worst for the previous three seasons. However, until they add some depth at guard, one injury or a positive COVID-19 test may land them in serious difficulty.
Basketball Reference provided the statistics.
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The “cavs news” is a major move that the Cleveland Cavaliers desperately need to make before the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline. The injury scare of Ricky Rubio has proven that point, as he could have been out for a while if it wasn’t for some quick thinking by his teammates.
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