INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- The Cavaliers are pursuing a trade to acquire a backup point guard and are hoping to make a deal before the season starts Tuesday, sources told cleveland.com.

The Cavs are in advanced discussions with at least one club, according to a source, and could make one or multiple trades to fill the one, glaring need on a team otherwise built to defend its 2016 championship.

Cleveland has an asset in emerging wing Jordan McRae, 25, who led the Cavs in scoring during the preseason at 14.0 points per game but would struggle to crack the team's rotation with its glut of small forwards and shooting guards.

In any order, McRae would sit behind J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert, or LeBron James, Richard Jefferson, and Mike Dunleavy.

The Cavs also have Mo Williams' expiring $2.2 million contract. Williams told the Cavs he would retire, but never filed paperwork with the league and no buyout reached with Cleveland. So until Williams is either traded or cut, he occupies one of the team's 15 roster spots.

in addition to McRae and Williams, the Cavs have a trade exception of about $11 million, so they have the ability to take on a sizable contract.

The Cavs need a veteran backup point guard in part because they couldn't count on Williams (he recently had left knee surgery) and also because Matthew Dellavedova plays for the Bucks. They drafted rookie Kay Felder and he is expected to make the team, but Cleveland has made clear he's not ready to handle extended minutes backing up Kyrie Irving.

Speaking of Irving, he was removed from the Cavs' preseason finale Tuesday with tightness in his left calf. The team continues to insist Irving is fine, though he didn't practice Thursday.

What is clear is the Cavs want to monitor and keep low (relatively speaking) Irving's minutes during the regular season, which necessitates the addition of another point guard.

The bulk of the minutes when Irving was not in Cleveland's 96-91 loss to Washington in the preseason finale went to Shumpert, who relishes the opportunity to play the point but it is better suited off the ball on offense.

Cleveland suspected it had a hole on its bench coming into camp, and had talks with veteran free-agent point guards Norris Cole, Mario Chalmers, and Kirk Hinrich. But Cole signed to play professionally in China and the Cavs don't believe that Chalmers (torn Achilles) will be ready to play until January.

Should Cleveland trade McRae and Williams, it would leave at least two open spots on the roster. The Cavs have raved all camp about DeAndre Liggins, who was brought to camp on a partially guaranteed contract, and may also consider small forward John Holland. Cory Jefferson, Jonathan Holmes, and Markel Brown were waived after practice Thursday.