Dion Waiters for Kosta Koufus trade being discussed?

[Smook A.]

I personally find Dion Waiters this close to being the next Anthony Randolph/Ricky Davis/Micheal Beasley type of player. All world talent and nothing between the ears. Waiters would be Rudy Gay 2.0 in Memphis. He's a good player, but doesn't deserve a spot on a contender. And besides, why should the Grizzlies even discuss trading Koufus? He's their insurance if Gasol ever gets hurt and he fits pretty nicely in the Memphis system. They would honestly be stupid if they did this trade. It'd be good for Cleveland, though.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are widening their scope in search of the rim protector that, even amid their best basketball of this young season, everyone knows they badly need.

Far more worrisome to the Cavs than their uneven 11-7 start is the lack of a proven presence at the rim to help stiffen their defense for the long term. That's why Cleveland, sources say, has been inquiring with the Memphis Grizzlies about the available of reserve center Kosta Koufos among their various trade pursuits.

Sources say that the Cavs are well aware landing a quality big man likely depends on selling on potential trade partners to take back polarizing shooting guard Dion Waiters. Cleveland rates Waiters' talent highly, but sources maintain that the Cavs have let a number of teams know they are prepared to surrender him if they can acquire a difference-making center in return.

How willing the Grizzlies are to part with Koufos, meanwhile, remains to be seen.

It's naturally hard to see it at this early juncture no matter how blessed Memphis is with frontcourt depth. When you rip through the first quarter of the season at 16-4, there isn't much incentive to change anything.

Stay tuned, though. There are some significant differences between Koufos' standing with Memphis and the Cavs' long-running but ultimately unsuccessful attempts to convince the Denver Nuggets to bite on a Waiters-for-Timofey Mozgov swap.

In Denver, Mozgov is under contract next season on a highly favorable team option valued at $4.95 million. The Nuggets can't be faulted for wanting to keep a productive big man at that price for themselves when they know Mozgov can't bolt this summer. Koufos, by contrast, is an unrestricted free agent next summer whose camp, sources say, has made it known to Grizzlies management that it has less than pleased with the limited role carved out for the 7-footer over the past two seasons.

So ...

If the Grizzlies could add a scorer like Waiters for a player who could simply leave them without compensation in July, either to keep or trade themselves, you figure they'd have to consider it.

Especially since the Grizzlies, as formidable as they've looked so far, could certainly use another wing scorer to boost their own long-term aspirations, though it's a secret to pretty much no one at this point that Waiters -- judging by his struggles to adapt to a reserve role under first-year Cavs coach David Blatt -- doesn't want to come off anyone's bench.

The names of several fantasy trade targets to address the Cavs' frontcourt shortcomings have been in circulation for weeks. All of them, though, appear out of reach: DeAndre Jordan, Roy Hibbert and, yes, even Mozgov.

Koufos might prove to be, too, but Waiters-for-Koufos is a trade scenario that has to be monitored.

Even more so when you take note of the Cavs' interest in Grizzlies veteran Tayshaun Prince, as reported Friday by my ESPN.com colleague Brian Windhorst. The Cavs have the parts to assemble a deal to send Waiters to Memphis and take Prince's $7.7 million salary off the Grizzlies' hands in addition to acquiring Koufos.

Interesting possibilities all around to file away.

http://espn.go.com/blog/marc-stein/p...cavs-wish-list

[Real14]

How much help does Bronna need?

[Proctor]

I don't watch every Grizzlies game but it seems to me they think they can afford to lose Koufos because of the capability of Jon Leuer. Don't see how Waiters really helps them though.

[Smook A.]

How much help does Bronna need?

lol It's not like Koufas is the best center in the game...

[LoneyROY7]

Where's PleezeBelieve?

[christian1923]

How much help does Bronna need?

Most teams would kill for bigs like Varejao, Love, and Thompson

[Uncle Drew]

Rather have Mozgov.

[Real14]

lol It's not like Koufas is the best center in the game...

Yea but that's still more help, and they talking about getting veteran prince too? Lebronna knows what he's doing

[Real14]

Most teams would kill for bigs like Varejao, Love, and Thompson

you aint lying

[Real14]

Rather have Mozgov.

I bet you do

[ALBballer]

Why not Mozgov?

[Nash]

what a terrible trade for cavs if it happens. Waiters was their only asset and they end up getting Koufos?

[Smook A.]

Yea but that's still more help, and they talking about getting veteran prince too? Lebronna knows what he's doing

Since when has LeBron been the GM

[Real14]

Since when has LeBron been the GM

[outbreak]

I'm all for them trading Waiters but I expected a bigger haul than Koufus. I guess if they want size though who else is available? If Prince is included too he's a solid vet.