Cleveland Cavaliers Look to Trade Brendan Haywood as First-Round Pick

After putting up a good fight on Tuesday, it only makes sense that the Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to keep the team in tact. One of the names that stands out is Brendan Haywood. Haywood, 35, played in only 22 games last season, averaging 1.6 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. So, “Why Haywood?” you may ask. I guess we’ll have to see but Haywood’s $10.5 million contract is not in any way guaranteed for following season if he is waived by August 2nd. This could be something that appeals to a team looking to either offload salary right away or use it as part of another deal in the future that could be executed during free agency later in July. General manager David Griffin said he’d be looking to add more facilitators for the next season, especially after the Warriors hurt the Cavs in the finals with their various playmakers.

Any trade involving the Cavs’ first-round pick will not be executed until after the draft. They’ve ceased from trading their pick before making the selection because of their 2016 first-round pick in the deal to acquire Kevin Love the past summer. That pick now belongs to Philadelphia.