CLEVELAND — Thursday marks the NBA's annual trade deadline.
And given the state of their roster, the Cleveland Cavaliers could be one of the league's more active teams.
Between their collection of proven veterans, expiring contracts and intriguing young talent, the Cavs have something to offer to just about every potential trade partner. What's more is that with their 13-38 record -- which is tied for the second-worst in the NBA -- Cleveland has no incentive to stand pat, as the Cavs are clearly still in the early stages of a multiyear rebuild.
Who will remain in Cleveland past Thursday and who will be on their way out of town? We'll find out in the coming hours. Until then, let's rank the Cavs players most likely to be traded prior to Thursday's 3 p.m. ET deadline:
* Rankings are in reverse order from least likely to be traded to most
** Cedi Osman cannot be traded due to the extension he signed with the team in October
Untouchable-ish
15. Kevin Porter Jr.
14. Darius Garland
Given the state of the Cavs' roster, there's probably no such thing as a truly untouchable player. But 19-year-old Porter Jr. and 20-year-old Garland are probably the closest things, as the two rookies have shown the most promising upside on the Cleveland roster this season.
Off the radar
13. Marques Bolden
12. Matt Mooney
11. Dean Wade
10. Ante Zizic
Mooney and Wade are each on two-way contracts, Bolden is on a 10-day deal and Zizic has been seldom used throughout his three seasons with the Cavs and is currently in the final year of his contract. The inclusion of any of these four in a deal would likely only be to help make the salaries match.
If the price is right
9. Dylan Windler
8. Collin Sexton
Slated to miss the entirety of the 2019-20 season due to a stress reaction in his left tibia, it's unlikely another team would want to target Windler on Thursday. Still, it's at least possible the Cavs could include the player it selected with the No. 26 pick in last year's draft in a larger trade.
As for Collin Sexton, it doesn't appear Cleveland will shop the second-year guard and even if it did, his market would seem to be minimal. But if another team came calling, intrigued by Sexton's scoring upside, the Cavs would have no choice but to listen and potentially part ways with the No. 8 pick of the 2018 NBA Draft.
Are they tradeable?
7. Dante Exum
6. Larry Nance Jr.
Exum and Nance are both useful and relatively young, but neither player's production currently matches his contract. Any team acquiring the 24-year-old Exum would be on the hook for his $9.1 million salary, while the 27-year-old Nance is in the first year of a 4-year, $44.8 million extension.
At this point, it probably wouldn't take much to pry either from Cleveland and it's easy to see how Nance, in particular, could be attractive to a playoff contender. But given the salary ramifications of acquiring either, it's more likely that both will be staying put.
Expiring, but uninspiring
5. Matthew Dellavedova
4. Brandon Knight
On a roster heavy on young guards, both Dellavedova and Knight have played sparingly in the final years of their contracts. You can have them if you want them -- the only question is will a team covet either of them?
The Wild Card
3. Kevin Love
The Cavs' most intriguing trade chip might not even be tradeable.
A 5-time All-Star, Love is by far Cleveland's most established player and could help bolster the roster of any championship contender. But between his injury-plagued 2018-19 campaign and disgruntled approach to this season, it's worth questioning whether any team would be willing to take on the 4-year, $120 million extension that the 31-year-old is currently in the first season of.
If not, teams would likely ask for the Cavs to incentive any Love trade with a draft pick. And for a team that's currently in "asset accumulation mode," that would likely be a non-starter.
Expiring and inspiring
2. John Henson
1. Tristan Thompson
Like Knight and Dellavedova, Henson is only under contract for a few more months. But unlike those two, there could be an actual market for the 6-foot-9 big man, who has been linked to the New York Knicks in trade talks.
As for Thompson, the ninth-year vet is the most likely player on the Cavs' roster to net a significant return.
Currently enjoying a career year, Thompson's defense, rebounding and experience could make him a valuable commodity for any championship contender. And while the expiring nature of his contract may seemingly diminish his value, the Cavs actually hold some leverage as re-signing the 28-year-old this offseason isn't out of the question.