Cleveland Cavaliers trying to acquire Deron Williams via trade

Cleveland Cavaliers, the reigning NBA champions, are trying to acquire either Dallas Mavericks' Deron Williams or Orlando Magic's D.J. Augustin prior to February's trade deadline, according to reports. In the aftermath of Matthew Dellavedova leaving the team in free agency and Mo Williams announcing his retirement, the Cavaliers are still seeking a backup point guard for Kyrie Irving.

Kay Felder, a late second round pick during this year's draft, is currently the designated back-up PG to Irving. Felder has appeared in four games thus far, averaging eight minutes for his 3.3 points and 1.3 assists per game. The 21-year-old was impressive during the Las Vegas Summer League but hasn't been able to replicate that success at the bigger stage.

According to Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon, Cavs general manager David Griffin is exploring ways to find Irving a back-up ahead of February's deadline.

"All indications are that they (the Cavs) will try and go the trade route to get a backup to Kyrie Irving. Could be around Dec. 15, when free agents signed over the summer can be traded. I'm just throwing a name out there—Dallas' Deron Williams is on that list. So is Orlando's D.J. Augustin," Vardon reported late last week.

Norris Cole another option...

Vardon also noted that the Cavs can't pursue Norris Cole until February due to the Chinese basketball season. Cole was a teammate of LeBron James in Miami Heat and has been linked with the Cavs for a while.

It must be noted that the Cavaliers are already US$35 million (AUS$47 million) above the salary cap and could face some challenges to pull off a trade. Their only realistic option is to use the US$1.3 million (AUS$1.75 million) Sasha Kaun trade exception or go for a bigger fish with the US$9.6 million (AUS$12.9 million) Anderson Varejao trade exceptions.

If they were to use the Varejao trade exception, the Cavs could find a quality backup PG.

The Cleveland Cavaliers roster covers all bases except for a backup point guard. They would need to fill that hole ahead of potential NBA Finals match-up against Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers or San Antonio Spurs.