The Cleveland Cavaliers are reportedly willing to part ways with Dion Waiters before the trade deadline on Feb. 19 in a deal where they would get a rim protector that they have been looking for since the offseason.
And according to Marc Stein, an NBA insider from ESPN, the Cavaliers reportedly called the Memphis Grizzlies about the availability of seldom-used center Kosta Koufos.
Sources indicated that the Cavaliers have turned their attention to Koufos after failing to strike deals to acquire their main targets earlier in the season. The 25-year-old center, who is averaging 3.9 points and 3.8 rebounds per game this season, is considered by most analysts as one of the most underrated post defenders in the league.
The Cavaliers are determined to address their need for a rim protector soon, which means that they could be more aggressive on the trade front in the next several weeks.
However, it is unclear at this point if the Grizzlies are willing to part ways with Koufos, who has been getting limited minutes in Memphis this season as he is playing behind stars Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph.
But if the Cavaliers are really ready to part ways with Waiters, Stein believes that the Grizzlies will be willing to deal Kosta Koufos even if the third-year shooting guard has been struggling this season.
After averaging 15.9 points on 43.3 percent shooting from the field last year, Waiters' numbers are down to 9.1 points on 38.6 percent shooting from the field this season.
The Grizzlies, who are currently second in the Western Conference standings with their 16-4 record, are looking to improve their title chances as well this season, and adding another scorer like Waiters could get them over the hump.
And if the trade backfires, the Grizzlies will have the option to move on without Waiters next season. The former Syracuse standout will become a restricted free agent in the offseason.
Stein also added that the potential deal between the Cavaliers and Grizzlies might include other players like veteran forward Tayshaun Prince, who is also reportedly on Cleveland's radar.
The Cavaliers, who won their seventh consecutive game on Monday, have been looking for a high-caliber center since the offseason. Previous reports indicated that Cleveland tried to acquire Timofey Mozgov from the Denver Nuggets and Roy Hibbert from the Indiana Pacers, but they failed to strike a deal.
