The NBA trade deadline is a day marked by a flurry of transactions as teams across the league try to improve their rosters, dump off large contracts and identify and solidify their team’s identities for the rest of the season and beyond. The Cleveland Cavaliers were no exception to this as they made moves in the days before the March 25 deadline. 

The Cavs signed guard Quinn Cook to a 10-day contract on March 12 and have since signed him to another 10-day contract as they evaluate whether or not he is the right fit for a point guard spot on the roster for the rest of the season. Cook has been with the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers, winning championships with both teams. Even though he has not seen nearly enough minutes on the court, he is known to provide teams with an influx of energy and support off the bench. Cook is also a solid teammate with great locker room presence and understands how to motivate others. 

On deadline day, the Cavaliers traded backup center JaVale McGee to the Denver Nuggets for center Isaiah Hartenstein. Hartenstein is a young player at just 22 years old and has been developing with the Nuggets and the Houston Rockets since he was drafted in 2017. He played limited minutes for the Nuggets, averaging 3.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and almost an assist per game. The Cavaliers have been looking to expand their young core, and exchanging McGee for the youthful Hartenstein is in line with these plans. Hartenstein will look to increase his minutes and make an impact as the team’s backup center, a role which McGee had embraced before being traded. 

The team also finally ended all speculations about Andre Drummond’s future a day after the trade deadline. Despite actively looking for a trade partner, the team could not find any suitors for Drummond, likely due to his massive $28 million contract. The Cavaliers and Drummond agreed to terms for a buyout for the veteran big man a day after the deadline. Since then, Drummond has signed a veteran’s minimum contract worth $794,536 with the Los Angeles Lakers to try to win a championship with LeBron James and company. 

With these moves, the Cavaliers have bolstered their young core for the second half of the season as they try to secure a playoff spot. They currently sit four games behind the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference.