ESPN’s Chad Ford and Brian Windhorst report separately the Cleveland Cavaliers have tried acquiring Gerald Wallace from the Charlotte Bobcats. Ford says the Cavaliers would simply absorb Wallace into the $14.5 million trade exception Cleveland received when it sign-and-traded LeBron James to the Miami Heat this summer. According to Windhorst, the Bobcats and Cavs “haven’t made significant progress” in their trade talks regarding Wallace.
Now in his 10th season, Wallace is averaging 15.6 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1 block per game for Charlotte. He earned his first trip to the All-Star Game last season, when he posted 18.2 points and 10 rebounds per game.
It’s unclear how Wallace, who has two seasons remaining on his contract after this one, would fit into the Cavaliers’ long-term plans. He turns 29 this summer and has averaged more than 3.45 minutes per game in each of the last five seasons, so wear-and-tear is a concern. On the surface, it appears as though he would make little sense for a team clearly in the rebuilding process.
Cleveland isn’t the only team bidding for Wallace, says Ford, as the Dallas Mavericks, L.A. Clippers, Houston Rockets, and Indiana Pacers have also inquired about the high-flying forward. We’ll know soon enough where he’ll end up, as the NBA trade deadline is tomorrow at 3 PM Eastern.