Trade talk: Best deadline deals for Cavs, Bulls, Bucks, Pacers, Pistons

— -- What can the Cavs do to satisfy LeBron and compete for another title? Should the Bulls trade Jimmy Butler? Is Paul George a trade candidate?

Our NBA Insiders answer the big questions for the five Central Division teams heading into the trade deadline.

Cleveland Cavaliers

We've heard LeBron's views. What are your views on what the Cavs should do at the trade deadline?

Amin Elhassan, ESPN Insider:?The Cavs are in a tough spot; even before the injuries to Kevin Love and J.R. Smith, Cleveland needed to bolster its PG depth and its rotation of bigs. LeBron is not incorrect when he says the Cavs need help, as their success in June will depend heavily on how healthy and how fresh they are.

The problem lies in the assets they have available at their disposal to acquire talent. The Cavs have two trade exceptions in the $4 million-plus range which cannot be combined with each other or anything else to create a larger exception, so the list of options is limited.

Kevin Pelton, ESPN Insider:?I agree Cleveland is probably best off standing pat and waiting to add a 15th player (assuming Derrick Williams will stick beyond his 10-day contract, which seems inevitable) until after the trade deadline -- unless the Cavs can acquire a player for virtually nothing with one of their trade exceptions.

Not only is the buyout market more affordable, that also gives the Cavaliers more time to evaluate the most important need to fill with that 15th spot: another 7-footer or James' long-awaited "playmaker."

What trades should the Cavaliers consider?

Bradford Doolittle, ESPN Insider:?Given Cleveland's cap situation, it's hard to see them using any of their trade exceptions to add a player at the deadline. The Cavs could still use a backup point guard, and I'm sure they'll add somebody before the postseason. I suspect it'll come in the form of a veteran bought out after the deadline.

Jeremias Engelmann, ESPN Insider: It will never happen, but I'd trade Kyrie Irving. His market value is many times greater than the actual impact he has on the game. If the Cavs are serious about winning more championships, replacing their defensively anemic point guard with one who plays on both sides of the floor -- I'm thinking Chris Paul, George Hill or Mike Conley -- would be a giant step in the right direction.

Indiana Pacers

Do you agree with Larry Bird being unwilling to discuss a Paul George trade?

Elhassan:?I'm generally not a fan of trading elite talent in its prime because you can't find complementary talent; that's hustling backwards. The hardest thing to do in this league is secure legitimate franchise player-level talent. There's a lot less of those dudes walking around, and a lot more regular guys who, when put in the right circumstances, can help you win games.

So the Pacers don't need to trade Paul George, they need to do a better job of building their roster.

Pelton:?I would always be willing to discuss a trade, just in case, but I think it's likely the Pacers will be able to make a better decision about a possible George trade this summer.

They'll know by then whether he's made an All-NBA team and become eligible for a designated-player extension. And they'll have a better sense of whether they can build a team around George that's capable of competing before he hits free agency.

What trades should the Pacers consider?

Doolittle:?With the virtual disappearance of Monta Ellis, the Pacers have a clear need for a 2-guard and the flexibility to add someone signed beyond this season. The Lakers' Lou Williams makes a lot of sense and could be worth a first-round pick.

Indiana might as well go as far as it can this season, because if the Pacers can win a playoff series, they might actually look good to an impact free agent this summer. Paul George has friends, right?

Engelmann:?The Pacers are in a solid position overall: They will probably make the playoffs, they don't have any toxic contracts and they don't owe future firsts to anyone.

One issue is that Jeff Teague and C.J. Miles, currently making a combined $13.5 million, will probably be looking for significant raises in the offseason. But dealing them now would derail Indiana's playoff hopes.

Ellis (-3.9 Real Plus-Minus) and Al Jefferson (-1.8) are making too much money for their impact and probably wouldn't net the Pacers a lot in return if they tried to trade them.

Detroit Pistons

Would you trade Reggie Jackson for Ricky Rubio?

Pelton:?I would. As Zach Lowe explored earlier this week, the Pistons' offense has run much more smoothly with pass-first point guard Ish Smith at the controls instead of Jackson.

With apologies to fellow Wake Forest alum Tom Haberstroh, Smith isn't the kind of player or long-term solution Rubio would be at the point. And even though it feels like Rubio's been around forever, he entered the league so young that he's six months younger than Jackson.

Elhassan: Absolutely. While Jackson has his charms as an aggressive scoring guard, Rubio is the better fit as a true setup man who can help unlock Andre Drummond's dormant talent.

Rubio's pass-first approach would better target Drummond in high-value play types (pick and rolls, cuts, etc.) versus fulfilling the "pass to the big guy" quota with low-value post-ups.

Furthermore, Rubio is a far superior defender, consistently ranking among the highest-rated guards in defensive RPM, while Jackson is traditionally ranked among the worst.

What trades should the Pistons consider?

Doolittle:?The Pistons have had Jackson on the floor for over 1,000 minutes and have been outscored by 7.3 points per 100 possessions during that time. It seems clear that Detroit needs a better point guard.

They've played pretty well with Smith, which suggests that there is enough offense-creation in the starting lineup to make Detroit one of the few teams that might still function better with a traditional lead guard.

So I agree: Why not see if Minnesota would take Jackson for Rubio? It might be just the stylistic switch both teams need, even if Jackson were to become the anchor of the Wolves' second unit. Stan Van Gundy would love Rubio's defense.

Engelmann:?The Pistons have played rather uninspired basketball since Jackson came back, and some of his teammates' comments suggest that several Pistons aren't happy with how long Jackson holds onto the ball.

At the same time, another player whose box score contributions vastly overstate his on-court impact is Drummond, without whom the Pistons defend better (plus-nine points per 100 possessions). I'd recommend packaging the two in a trade.

Milwaukee Bucks

What philosophical approach should the Bucks take to the trade deadline?

Pelton:?Patience. The Bucks already made their most important move, getting out from under Miles Plumlee's contract by trading him for Spencer Hawes and Roy Hibbert.

If Milwaukee could move John Henson or Mirza Teletovic for a player who better complements the team's young talent, that's certainly worth exploring.

Barring that, I'd rather spend more time evaluating how Khris Middleton fits with a rotation that changed dramatically in his absence for the first half of the season.

Elhassan:?Agreed. While I appreciate their hope to make a strong playoff push, the Bucks should probably be conservative at this juncture.

Looking at the amazing collection of young talent on the roster, the Bucks figure to have many years to come of high-stakes basketball. It's more about subtle tweaks than wholesale change.

What trades should the Bucks consider?

Engelmann:?The Bucks have several good young players signed to decent contracts. They can wait at least another season before having to meet playoff expectations. For now, I'd keep the roster as is.

Maybe deal Henson, who generally performs far below average in plus-minus metrics, for a player who does more of the little things.

Doolittle: The Bucks were really disappointing to me even before Jabari Parker went down again. As much as I liked the pickup of Matthew Dellavedova over the summer, it sure seems like he'd be better as a third guard. Which means the Bucks still need a starting point guard who can defend and spot up off the ball while Giannis Antetokounmpo is doing his thing.

The Bucks need to find a look that works because their roster is going to be getting expensive over the next couple of years.

Chicago Bulls

If you were Chicago, what would you need to consider trading Jimmy Butler?

Elhassan:?If I were Chicago, I'd get rid of everyone not named Butler and start anew; this is what I was talking about in the Pacers answer. But if I were a Chicago resigned to move Butler, I'd want premium picks involved. I'm looking at you, Boston, with that sultry Brooklyn pick of yours!

Pelton:?According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst on the TrueHoop podcast earlier this week, the Bulls are seeking a current starter, a young prospect and a pick likely to land in the top-5.

I probably wouldn't worry so much about the current starter because Chicago is likely to be entering a rebuild if Butler is traded. The top-5 pick or equivalent should be the key, and accompanied by another couple of first-round picks (or equivalent prospects) who can build around that top prospect.

What trades should the Bulls consider?

Doolittle:?It's going to take awhile to sort out this mess and I'm not sure how much can be accomplished at the deadline.

Assuming Chicago's mindset of straddling the fence between a rebuild and making the playoffs remains in place, then maybe they can move Taj Gibson's expiring contract and bring back a guard who can shoot and defend the point. New Orleans or Sacramento could make sense though, honestly, I don't see many scenarios out there I like for both teams. That's what happens when you have a roster that's neither fish nor fowl.

Engelmann:?So far, it looks like the "3 alphas" experiment has been a failure. I'd try to keep the core of Butler, Gibson and Robin Lopez and find any takers for Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo and Michael Carter-Williams.

Problem is, all three might be hard to deal. Wade makes $23.5M this season and has a player option for the next, while both Rondo and Carter-Williams have bounced around with very limited success -- together they've played for seven teams in the last three seasons.