Batum has chemistry with our current team. As you said, Batum has higher ceiling. Deng is FA this summer. And Deng did nothing to improve Cavaliers.
Nic's "Ceiling" has been promised for years. At what point does the team cut their expectations. Batum can look like a superstar. He can also look like a bench scrub. Only his mind decides between two. Deng is a proven all-star in the prime of his career. If Cleveland is willing, this should be a no-brainer. Deng did nothing to help the Cavs? What do you expect one player to do to make a shitpile smell better?
I'm a little confused; why would we want to give them another player when they are already getting Batum who is better and is tied up for a few years?
Deng is a free agent. There's no guarantee he would even resign. Why is this worth a thread? At the very least, they should wait until the offseason to do a sign and trade.
Well to be fair I don't think Nic is the type of player that could improve a bad team either. I think Nic and Deng are in the same boat where Deng is a better scorer. they are both the type to complement the winning teams.
Yeh, the only way I would even think about this if it was conditional on a second trade. Varajeo and a first round 2014 pick for Wright, Leonard and Claver. But Batum seems too central to what we do to trade him. There are ways to get Varajeo without trading Batum.
Maybe you didn't understand, because Deng must be traded alone, this second trade would balance out what I consider an inequity in the Batum/Deng trade.
Well it's not like Batum is light years ahead of Deng. The are both very good all around players that complement teams in different ways. The only way I would do something like this is if Deng signed a 3 year deal.
Deng is 3 2/3 years older than Batum. But he's better. He makes $3M more, $14M. Chicago dumped him for nothing because this summer, he'll want even more. This is our big chance to get Anthony Bennett thrown in. Also, we could exchange projects, Meyers Leonard for Tyler Zeller. We could throw in Lillard for Kyrie Irving to sweeten the pot.
Deng for Nicolas Batum Deng has carved a reputation as a two-way player with the ability to make an impact on the offensive and defensive end of the floor. This season, Deng is averaging 17.6 points, 3.2 assists and 6.2 rebounds per game while shooting 44 percent from the field. Letting Deng walk away without compensation is big blow to the new front office team, so the Cavs are expected to explore every trade possibility with roughly two weeks left before the midseason trade deadline. A very intriguing trade rumors being talked about right now is the swap involving Deng and Portland Trail Blazers' small forward Nicolas Batum. The Blazers are certainly one of the most surprising teams this season, thanks to All-Stars LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard. However, adding another star to their roster would certainly give them a solid shot to be a contender in the postseason. On the other hand, the Cavs could get another do-it-all player in Batum in exchange for Deng, who obviously loves to play for a title contender than a rebuilding ball club.
Better at what? Statistically, nowhere to be found. Sure, he does take more shots a game than Batum, so has higher point total. Not sure those shots are available here. Defensively? No. Definitely not in play making. 3pt shooting? Nope. I can't find anything.
And with Aldridge, Matthews, Lillard and soon the be CJ, which is more important to this team? We're already the highest scoring team in the league.
