Cavs Searching For A Small Forward
Sep 26, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt and general manager David Griffin address the media during media day at Cleveland Clinic Courts. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin has been a busy man. Over the past two weeks he has resigned for the Cavs LeBron James, Kevin Love, and Iman Shumpert. He also signed free agent guard Mo Williams, who will begin a second tour of duty with the team. In a recent interview with Jason Lloyd, Griffin seemed optimistic that a deal would eventually get done with Tristan Thompson and that the Cavaliers were still interested in bringing back J.R. Smith and Matthew Dellavedova if the terms are favorable for the team.
One intriguing comment Griffin made during the interview was when he shared his opinion that the Cavaliers need to add a true small forward to back up LeBron James whether or not Smith returns to the team. With most elite free agents now off the market, there are some players who are still available and may fit this role:
Don’t let the fact that he’s shot below 40% from the field in each of the last three seasons fool you, Wright would be a great addition to the Cavaliers. A big reason his field goal percentage has been so low is the fact that more than half of his shots are three point attempts, where he has a solid career mark of 36.5% (38% last season). At 6’9” Wright is one of the bigger small forwards in the league and can also play power forward against many lineups.
This is the kind of size the Cavaliers lack on the perimeter with the obvious exception of James. Wright is also a solid passer and rebounder and decent defender. At 29 years old he should be in the middle of his prime as well. Unfortunately, some team will likely offer him a contract much larger than the veteran’s minimum deal the Cavaliers could give him.
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