NBA trade deadline: Taking a look at Cedi Osman, the Cavs' most mysterious trade asset

Cedi Osman, the Turkish small forward the Cavs traded Tyus Jones for on draft night, is not in the forefront of the minds of many Cavaliers fans. However, as the trade deadline nears he should be. The 6'7 wing player is one of the best trade chips the Cavs can leverage to improve the team this year.

Osman, the 2014 FIBA Europe U20 MVP, is having somewhat of a breakout campaign in the Euroleague this year. After starting the season of struggling to find playing time for Turkish side Anadolu Efes, Osman has broken out in recent games, including an electric offensive performance against Turkish power Fenerbahce. Osman has good athleticism and a nice shooting stroke. Efes has utilized him in a variety of ways including in pick and rolls, as a weak side cutter and as a spot up shooter.

In his last 6 Euroleague games Osman is shooting 45% from behind the arc and averaging 10 points per game. He also has a number of highlight real chase down blocks that may remind Cavs fans of another small forward. All of this is to say that Osman is not a one trick pony, he is a talented player who is getting better with legitimate basketball skill and IQ.

Osmans trade value is difficult to pin down, he doesnt have the pedigree of teammate Dario Saric but is younger than Saric and currently is outplaying him in Euroleague. Osman almost certainly isn't coming to the NBA until after the 2017 season either, which also makes it difficult to assess his value. But in the era of three and D wings Osman has a place in the NBA and would be a great asset for a team currently rebuilding or looking to blow things up.

Here are three trades involving Osman that may be appealing to David Griffin and company.

Deal 1: Timofey Mozgov and the rights to Cedi Osman for Kosta Koufos and Ben McLemore

Why the Cavs do it: Kosta Koufos is an upgrade over this year's Mozgov on an affordable contract going forward. McLemore is a wing with potential that might benefit from being on a real NBA team.

Why the Kings do it: McLemore clearly hasn't worked out for them and Koufos isn't a key piece. This frees up money to do weird Vivek things.

Deal 2: Rights to Cedi Osman and 2018 protected 1st for PJ Tucker

Why the Cavs do it: Immediate upgrade to Richard Jefferson and Tucker isn't gone at the end of the season.

Why the Suns do it: Two tradable assets for Tucker is likely going to be a competitive deal for Phoenix and it saves Robert Sarver money in the short term...he loves that.

Deal 3: Rights to Cedi Osman for Kyle Korver

Why the Cavs do it: Taking a gamble that Korver has something left might push the Cavs offense to a new level. Korver is also another wing player for a team that needs them.

Why the Hawks do it: Korver may not have anything left and the team might be blowing it up. The Hawks have had good success with international players recently and Osman fits the play style of Coach Budenholzer.

Parting with Osman would be difficult. The Cavs have already traded away many of their future draft picks and Osman is a cheap, controllable asset at a position of need for the franchise. If he continues to improve he could end up as a solid contributor to Cavaliers teams in the not so distant future.