NBA Trade Deadline: 3 players the Cleveland Cavaliers should trade away

Coming into the 2018/19 NBA season, the Cleveland Cavaliers had reached the NBA Finals in four consecutive seasons. The team met the Golden State Warriors in all four finals, and while the Warriors often dominated LeBron James and co., the Cavs won the 2016 Finals, which ended Cleveland's long wait for a championship.

Nevertheless, LeBron made the decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Los Angeles Lakers last summer, and this decision has left the team in disarray. The franchise initially believed that they could still compete in a weak Eastern Conference, and the Cavs showed their intent by signing Kevin Love to a new four-year, $120 million contract.

Nevertheless, the Cavs ability to contend has evaporated, and the team has started the season with an 8-34 record. The 2018/19 season could eventually turn out to be the worst in Cavaliers history, and the franchise is reportedly open to trading the entire roster. So with the February trade deadline quickly approaching, here are three players that the Cavs should look to trade away.

#3 John Henson

Henson's contract does not match his value on the court

John Henson played three years of basketball with the University of North Carolina, and Henson's performances resulted in him being twice named as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Due to this, it was somewhat surprising that Henson was only taken with the 14th overall pick in the 2012 draft, although Henson went on to have six successful years with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Henson joined the Cavs back in December, however, the 28-year-old has yet to play, and reports have suggested that the organisation has no plans to use him, and will instead look to move him on before the trade deadline. Despite recently moving teams, Henson is eligible to be aggregated in a trade, and the Cavs will be desperate to get his $10 million deal off the franchise's payroll.

#2 Jordan Clarkson

Clarkson has not started a single game this year

Jordan Clarkson spent three years playing college basketball, splitting his time between Tulsa and Missouri. Nevertheless, Clarkson was not heavily recruited out of college, and in the 2014 NBA draft, Clarkson was selected by the Washington Wizards with the 46th overall pick.

The guard was immediately traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, and after three and a half successful years with the team, Clarkson was surprisingly traded to the Cavs.

The deal also took Larry Nance Jr. to the team, and while Clarkson struggled for minutes in his first season with the team, he has transformed into the Cavs' best player this season.

Clarkson is currently averaging 17.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, although the Cavs have yet to start the 26-year-old. Ultimately, if the Cavs continue to refuse to give more minutes to their best player, it makes sense to trade Clarkson, as his value is currently at an all-time high.

#1 Kevin Love

Love was part of the 2016 championship team

The Cavaliers management wanted to build the team around Kevin Love this season, however, the All-Star is currently out with an injury, and has played in just four games this season. During his limited time on the court, Love also failed to light up the NBA, shooting just .323 from the field.

The Cavs successfully agreed on a new four-year max contract with Love during the 2018 offseason, however, this contract was agreed upon while Cleveland believed that they could still contend. This is evidently not the case now, and the organisation will now want to move the 30-year-old on, as the team looks to acquire promising young players and draft picks.

With that said, Love is still a 5-time All-Star, and a number of teams such as the OKC Thunder may be interested. Ultimately, Love's value may continue to decrease, and the Cavs should look to trade the veteran away while he still has value.