CLEVELAND, United States – The Cleveland Cavaliers, struggling since a season-ending injury to Anderson Varejao, are near a deal to obtain Russian big man Timofey Mozgov from the Denver Nuggets, reports said Wednesday.
ESPN, Yahoo Sports, CBS sports and newspapers in Ohio reported that the Cavaliers will send two first-round NBA Draft selections to Denver in exchange for the 28-year-old, 7-foot (2.16m) center.
The Cavaliers, sparked by four-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James and forward Kevin Love, as well as Australian guard Kyrie Irving, are pushing to win quickly after assembling talent once James announced in July he was leaving Miami, where he won two NBA titles and twice more lost in the final, to return to his home-region club.
Mozgov, who played under Cavaliers coach David Blatt on the 2012 London Olympic Russian bronze medal-winning team, is averaging 8.5 points and 7.8 rebounds a game for the Nuggets, who are 15-20 and 10th in the Western Conference.
His size would help the Cavaliers recover from the loss of Brazilian big man Varejao, who suffered a ruptured left Achilles tendon two weeks ago. He was averaging 9.8 points and 6.8 rebounds a game.
The Cavaliers, 2-6 since losing Varejao, are 19-16 overall, fifth in the Eastern Conference and six games behind Central division leader Chicago. They are also among the league’s worst teams at denying opponents from scoring near the basket.
Mozgov would take some of the rebounding load from Love’s shoulders and make him a bigger threat offensively and defensively.
The Cavaliers obtained a draft pick in a three-team deal earlier this week that could be included in the swap to Denver. They also have rights to a future first-round pick of the Memphis Grizzlies.
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