Timofey Mozgov on verge of being traded to Cavaliers

The Cavaliers may be nearing a deal for their new starting center.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are close to addressing their frontcourt depth by completing a long-anticipated move for Denver Nuggets center Timofey Mozgov, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The deal will send multiple draft picks, including a pair of first-round picks, to Denver.

Rumors tying the Cavaliers to Mozgov have around for months, but got louder recently following the season-ending injury to starting center Anderson Varejao. That loss, plus the ongoing turmoil surrounding the team amid a slow start to the season, put extra pressure on Cleveland to shake things up somehow.

The first domino fell earlier this week, when the team acquired J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert from the New York Knicks as part of a three-team deal that sent former No. 4 overall pick Dion Waiters to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The second move could come Wednesday with the addition of Mozgov, a 7'1 behemoth who's been a useful, durable player for the Nuggets in recent years.

Mozgov was originally brought to the NBA by the New York Knicks, who traded him midway through his rookie season to Denver as part of the Carmelo Anthony trade. Over the next three-plus years, he emerged as a key part of the team's frontcourt rotation, even earning the starting gig this season. Assuming the deal with Cleveland goes through, he'll likely take on a similar role filling the middle for the Cavaliers.

As for the Nuggets, they're likely happy to be nearing a deal for two first-round picks in exchange for a talented but limited big man. Even if it's a short-term step back on the court, those picks should come in handy soon, regardless of whether they're heavily protected (which they likely are).

Source SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/1BJ4aNM