Cavs Remain Likely To Address Backup PG Spot

With Kyrie Irving out of action on Wednesday night and Iman Shumpert needed off the ball, the Cavaliers’ point guard duties fell to Jordan McRae, Kay Felder, and LeBron James during the team’s loss to Chicago. Asked after the game about the point guard spot, James acknowledged that it has been “obvious since day one” that the team lacks a “reliable veteran” to back up Irving.

“Kay’s in the process of learning on the fly,” James said, per Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. “He’s a rookie and is going to have his mistakes and things of that nature. It’s tough on him because we’re a franchise trying to win a championship. He has to have a fast-track mind. But we don’t have a backup point guard.”

As LeBron noted last night, the Cavs’ hole at point guard has been a topic of discussion all season. Still, the team’s injuries lately have further depleted that spot. At the start of the season, James, Shumpert, and J.R. Smith all assumed some ball-handling duties when Irving was on the bench, but with Smith sidelined and Shumpert playing on the wing, Cleveland has been forced to explore other options, with McRae and Felder getting more reps.

The Cavaliers have kept their eyes open all season long for a veteran backup point guard, but there are reasons to believe the team will address the issue soon. Teams can sign players to 10-day contracts as of today, and James’ comments may spur the Cavs to seek out a short-term fix.

Additionally, as ESPN’s Marc Stein details, several veteran point guards on the free agent market – including Jarrett Jack, Mario Chalmers, and Norris Cole – are getting healthy and will be looking to land NBA jobs. Vardon mentions Chalmers as someone on the Cavs’ radar, and notes that the team is also keeping an eye on the Rajon Rondo situation in Chicago. The Cleveland.com scribe isn’t sure either player is a fit for the Cavs, but it’s clear the club is considering all its options.

According to Sam Amico of NEO Sports Insiders (Twitter link), the Cavs are “highly likely” to add a veteran point guard soon enough.

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