The Cavaliers remain interested in adding at least one more free agent to their roster before training camp, sources tell Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link). According to Fedor, the team isn’t targeting any specific position and is simply focused on “playable depth.”
As Fedor outlines, the Cavaliers currently have 12 players on guaranteed contracts, plus Sam Merrill on a non-guaranteed deal. The club has about $3MM in breathing room below the luxury tax line and has no interest in becoming a taxpayer, so the 15th roster spot will probably remain open to start the season. In all likelihood, the Cavs would add one more player on a minimum-salary contract (or two, if Merrill is cut) in order to set the regular season roster.
Sources tell Fedor that Cleveland has registered interest in some of the top unrestricted free agents still available on the open market, including forward Kelly Oubre and center Christian Wood. Oubre was viewed as the Cavs’ Plan B if they hadn’t been able to land Max Strus via sign-and-trade, Fedor adds.
Fedor also mentions restricted free agent P.J. Washington, noting that the Cavs might have enough expendable salary (starting with Ricky Rubio and Dean Wade) to build a sign-and-trade package for the Hornets forward. However, I don’t see a scenario in which Cleveland could put together an offer that appeals to Charlotte, pays Washington the sort of money he’s seeking, and keeps the Cavs out of the tax.
Cleveland’s next signing will probably be a “minor” one, Fedor acknowledges, with the team looking to land a “cheaper-than-expected” rotation player at the veteran’s minimum like Golden State did with Dario Saric.
The Cavaliers do not need a free agent signing. They can finish the roster internally. First they could convert Isaiah Mobley their summer league and g-league MVP to a standard contract. Then sign Pete Nance to a 2-way contract as a backup big man. Then use the last spot on 2022 draft pick Luke Travers who shot .400 from deep in the Australian Basketball League last year and creates all sorts of mayhem on defense. That should keep them under the cap. These 3 plus Merrill, Hodges, Bates and Cooper have carried the Cav’s summer league to an undefeated record in the Summer League and the 1st seed in the Summer League championship tournament. Impressive since none of them are 1st rounders and had to beat teams loaded with them. This would give us enough depth to handle injuries at a budget price.
I concur 100 percent.
Kelly Oubre would be a real intriguing pick up. He’d probably walk straight into the starting SF position but for the most part he’s been somewhat of an inefficient scorer on bad teams most his career. Wonder how he would go on an actually good team and not being one of the main scoring options.
Oubre is an intriguing possibility. I think his shooting would improve on a team with as many playmakers as the Cav’s. That said I question whether he can be happy as a 5th option on offense. Or even a 6th option as he likely plays behind Max Strus. I think he would take too many shots away from Allen and Evan Mobley. The Cav’s need to use their high percentage shooting. Especially when the 3 isn’t falling. The Cavaliers will need to make Evan Mobley a 20 point scorer to legitimately contend.
Cavs will be a yr older. Than in itself is progress. Obrue wouldn’t be a bad pickup. But would he sign. I think LaVert and Okoro are the two wild cards. If they step up and have good yrs. Then Cavs will be deep and tough to beat.
Oubre is the last thing CLE needs. They need to focus on Mobley’s development on the offensive end (with a view toward him eventually being their second option). That requires (among other things) better floor spacing and more touches for Mobley earlier in the shot clock. Less bouncing from their star guards. More low maintenance 3 pt shooting from everyone else. Strus and Niang are great additions along those lines. Oubre would be substraction by addition.
I wouldn’t want the Cavs to go over the tax for Oubre, but for P.J, I think he’d made a great addition. He can play 3-5 depending on the line-up. Plays good defense and has a respectable 3 point shot. One of the reasons Cavs are likely avoiding the Tax is because it would eliminate a big portion of their MLE next season. P.J is likely better than most players available for the MLE next season so I think they should take the shot at him if it’s only going to cost Rubio, Wade/Okoro and a few 2nds.
I like Rubio but Pj Washington would be a get and fill a major need. We have Ty Jerome to backup the point. I am also confident that Craig Porter Jr can be a valuable 2-way backup at the point. For that matter when Garland is hurt we usually start LeVert and have Mitchell handle the point. Washington would allow us to continue to play elite defense if Mobley or Allen have to miss time.
Seems logical they move off of Rubio and Wade.
As they only have 12 players on guaranteed contracts, they could always go trade with a team like OKC.
If they cannot trade Rubio for an impact player, they could offload those two to OKC and take 3 or 4 contracts back.
Though I am fond of Rubio and Wade the Cav’s performance in the Summer League made 1 thing clear. Both can be easily replaced. For a Cav’s club coming off 3 years of losing every night Rubio was a breath of fresh air.It was a revelation that a team does not have to fall apart every time our point guard has to catch ⁰a breather. We still need to see how Craig Porter Jr performs in the NBA but he has all of Rubio’s skills plus a few he lacks. Porter is the basketball equivalent of a Swiss army knife. He led Wichita State in rebounds, assists, steals and blocked shots this past season while scoring 14 points a game. For a guy who is six foot two or so that’s remarkable. In the NBA Summer League he showed all those skills even if he didn’t lead the Cav’s in Rebounds or Blocks he was close. Speaking of Swiss Army knives Isaiah Mobley was the big man version of 1. He led the team in Rebounds and Blocks while dishing 4 and a half assists and snagging well over a steal per game. They won’t lead the team in anything coming off the bench. That said given the opportunity it’s reasonable to assume that Mobley could match or exceed what Wade did last year. Not that we should dump either Rubio or Wade. Just that if it were necessary to include either in a deal it wouldn’t be the end of the world as we know it.