CLEVELAND — With the 2023 NBA Trade Deadline approaching on Feb. 9, the Cleveland Cavaliers figure to be one of the league's more active teams.
With that in mind, let's take a look at five players the Cavs could target as next month's trade deadline approaches.
Tim Hardaway Jr., SG, Dallas Mavericks
With Cleveland in apparent need of a '3-and-D' wing, there are few fits better than Mavericks guard Tim Hardaway Jr. Appearing in 41 games this season, the son of Hall of Fame point guard Tim Hardaway has averaged 14.1 points on .390 shooting (.363 from 3-point range) and could team with Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland to further bolster the Cavs' backcourt.
With three years remaining on his four-year, $75 million contract, the 30-year-old Hardaway wouldn't come cheap -- and Cleveland might even look for draft compensation back in the deal. But it's worth noting that the Cavs could swap Caris LeVert for Hardaway straight up, providing Dallas with short-term salary relief and Cleveland with a better offensive fit.
Josh Richardson, SG, San Antonio Spurs
Josh Richardson isn't quite the shot-maker that Hardaway Jr. is -- he's averaging 11 points per game on .434 shooting (.355 from 3-point range) -- this season, but he shot .415 percent from 3-point range just last season. Acquiring the 29-year-old swingman could also prove more cost-effective for the Cavs, as he's currently playing on a one-year deal with the rebuilding Spurs.
Terrence Ross, SG/SF, Orlando Magic
Once considered one of the top bench scorers in the NBA, Terrence Ross has found himself playing a reduced role on a rebuilding Orlando team. Still, the 6-foot-6 swingman is shooting .375 from 3-point range and could find himself with even better opportunities playing alongside the likes of Mitchell and Garland.
With Ross currently in the final year of his contract, he shouldn't prove too expensive for Cleveland to acquire. The question the Cavs will have to answer is whether he's enough of an upgrade over current rotation players such as LeVert, Cedi Osman and Isaac Okoro.
Gary Harris, SG, Orlando Magic
While he's only appeared in 14 games this season due to injury, Gary Harris has built on a 2021-22 season in which he shot .384 from long distance by connecting on .396 of his 3-point attempts this season. With his salary non-guaranteed for next season, the 6-foot-4 swingman could prove affordable for Cleveland to acquire and wouldn't likely require the Cavs to part ways with their 2024 first-round pick.
Harrison Barnes, SF, Sacramento Kings
At 22-15 and currently sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference, the Sacramento Kings have been one of the NBA's most pleasantly surprising teams this season. Still, unless Sacramento feels like it can really compete this season, it would make sense for the Kings to take calls on Harrison Barnes, who is currently in the final year of his contract.
A 6-foot-9 two-way player with championship experience, it would be tough to identify a better available fit for the Cavs' void at small forward than the 30-year-old Barnes. Still, trade talks are a two-way street, and it remains unclear whether Sacramento would be willing to part with a key veteran as it looks to break the NBA's longest playoff drought.