Cavaliers, Rockets Among Teams Targeting Royce O’Neale For Trade

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets are also interested in trading for Brooklyn Nets forward Royce O’Neale. The seven-year veteran has made six starts in 49 games with Brooklyn this season.

“O’Neale has drawn trade interest from the Rockets and Cavaliers recently. The Suns have also remained in the mix to land O’Neale,” reported Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

“Nassir Little and multiple second-round picks have been dangled in trade talks for O’Neale, league sources told HoopsHype. Other teams who’ve circled the wagon on O’Neale include the Lakers, Mavericks, Nuggets, Pacers, Kings, and Bucks.”

The Suns have offered Nassir Little and two second-round picks to the Nets for Royce O’Neale, per @MikeAScotto (https://t.co/g2egDaKqGm).

O’Neale has a very robust market with all of these teams expressing interest: Suns, Cavaliers, Rockets, Lakers, Mavericks, Nuggets, Kings,… pic.twitter.com/aAJ6r0Lgqo

— Evan Sidery (@esidery) February 8, 2024

O’Neale, 30, is averaging a career-high-tying 7.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 24.5 minutes per game while shooting 38.8% from the field, 36.6% beyond the arc, and a career-low 68.2% at the foul line this season.

In Brooklyn’s 118-109 win over the Chicago Bulls on Nov. 26, the forward recorded a season-high 20 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and one steal in 36 minutes as a starter.

Cleveland Cavaliers wanted to trade for Brooklyn Nets forward Royce O’Neale in February 2023

O’Neal is in his second season with the Nets. In June 2022, the Utah Jazz traded the 6-foot-4 forward to Brooklyn for a 2023 first-round draft pick. The Nets also received a trade exception.

He is in the final season of the four-year, $36 million deal he signed with Utah in January 2020. Brooklyn fully guaranteed his $9.5 million salary for the 2023-24 season last July.

Furthermore, the Cavaliers wanted to trade for O’Neal last February. After all, he’s one of Donovan Mitchell’s closest friends from their Utah playing days.

At the time, Brooklyn demanded more than a first-round draft pick for the Baylor product. In other words, the Nets wanted additional compensation than what it took to acquire O’Neale from the Jazz.

NBA insider Marc Stein discussed Cleveland’s interest in O’Neal just last month.

“One veteran team executive read my Sunday piece that wondered aloud about the Cavaliers pursuing a trade for Brooklyn’s Royce O’Neale and relayed that Cleveland indeed has O’Neale on its list of targets,” Stein wrote.

The NBA trade deadline is Thursday, Feb. 8 at 3 p.m. ET.