Wingless: The Cavs’ Search for The Final Piece
Okoro and Levert may not be enough to push Cleveland over the edge.
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As Cleveland entered the offseason unexpectedly early on the precipice of the luxury tax, Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen suddenly became available to the NBA media. Though the Cavs quickly shut these rumors down (Daryl Morey’s offer of Tobias Harris for Mobley and Allen did not go unnoticed by NBA fans), the Knicks series reminded them of their greatest hole in the roster: a wing.
Isaac Okoro is a solid player who can defend most positions and is rapidly improving his long-range scoring, but offensive stagnation without a reliable kick-out shooter was a problem with Okoro on the floor. Caris Levert was better, playing surprisingly great defense and improvising for tough buckets. The bottom line is that neither of them is believed to be championship-caliber starters and the Cavs need to look elsewhere for their final piece.
Though Cleveland’s defense was arguably the best in the NBA last season, I believe that the wing they should settle on should be a taller player with a wider wingspan who can switch on to anyone and get rebounds (Okoro is much more of an on-ball defender than a rebounder). Mitchell Robinson dominated Cleveland’s “twin towers” Mobley and Allen, as they had no help from their teammates. It is also Cleveland’s hope that this player can shoot.
Because they’re so close to the luxury tax, Cleveland only has room for a $12.4 million player thanks to the midlevel exception.
Strus is due for a big payday.
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Ideally, Cleveland would snag Max Strus in unrestricted free agency. Strus, an undrafted wing out of DePaul, showcased his red-hot shooting ability as well as some sweet dribble drive moves on his way to hitting 41 percent of his three-pointers against Milwaukee and scoring nearly 15 points per game against New York. His defense still isn’t up to snuff (he is regarded as responsible for Derrick White’s buzzer-beating putback during the Boston series), but Strus is a huge threat from deep that would free up space for Mitchell and Garland. The issue is that because of his prolific playoff scoring, Strus may receive offers that are far more than Cleveland can afford.
Watanabe is a deadly catch-and-shooter.
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Yuta Watanabe, who shot nearly 46 percent on catch-and-shoot three-pointers last season, would be an excellent option for Cleveland. The Cavs wouldn’t need much from him: he’s 6’8 (lengthy enough on defense) and can stand in one spot and knock ‘em down. His market value is below $5 million, so the Cavs have a chance to pocket him with a close-to-minimum deal.
A Mitchell-Ingles reunion can only increase Cleveland’s chemistry.
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Joe Ingles has been injured almost constantly since his ACL injury in Utah, but he has some synergy with Donovan Mitchell and Ricky Rubio and would likely take a veteran’s minimum. If he can be healthy, he can bring the shooting the Cavs haven’t had off the bench since Kevin Love packed his bags. Ingles’s playoff experience is something the Cavs need more of.
Lyles, a stretch-four, brings shooting and defense to any team.
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Trey Lyles had an amazing season with Sacramento, spreading the floor, hitting mid-range jump shots, and shutting down on defense. He shoots 36 percent from deep, suggesting he can play the small forward role. However, Cleveland, who was last in pace last season, would be even slower with Lyles on and Okoro (who’s powerful transition dunks continue to serenade Cavs fans) off.
Divincenzo, though undersized, would bring speed to the NBA’s slowest team.
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Dante DiVincenzo is an excellent shooter and passer, but the 6-foot-4-inch “wing” wouldn’t be ideal to pair with the similarly short Garland and Mitchell. If Mobley and Allen can balance this small size with their 7-foot frames, the Cavs could be a deadly transition team that would speed up their pace and passing. Do they trade defense for speed?
Relentless hustle is everything the Cavs need in this restricted free agent.
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Grant Williams would bring hustle and defense to Cleveland, diving for loose balls, energizing the offense, and bringing the team together. Williams is an inconsistent shooter, but his tradeoffs in other aspects of the game are impressive and enticing for Cleveland. He is a restricted free agent, but the Celtics, who are in even more luxury tax trouble, may not want to pay him. They could sign-and-trade him away to Cleveland, but the assets the Cavs had may not entice Boston enough. Then again, money talks, and Williams’s deal might just be loud enough to convince Boston to move on.
