Signing David West Is Logical For The Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers enter free agency looking to add veterans in an effort to repeat. David West is a logical fit with mutual interests for both parties.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are reigning NBA Champions and will be looking to repeat as champions. First they need to get through the NBA’s free agency period by adding veterans, and David West is a logical fit.

West, 35, signed with the San Antonio Spurs prior to the 2015-16 NBA season in search for a NBA Championship. However, the Spurs were eliminated in the Western Conference Playoffs by a red-hot Oklahoma City Thunder team.

West left the Central Division-rival Indiana Pacers in pursuit of a championship. He opted out of a $12 million player option with the Pacers to sign a veteran-minimum $1.4 million deal with the Spurs, according to USA Today‘s Sam Amick.

Now West is beginning the process again, and is still in search of a team that will bring him on in a quest for a NBA Championship. There must be three teams at the top of the list for West.

The Thunder traded Serge Ibaka on draft night to the Orlando Magic. The Vertical‘s Chris Mannix claims that Ibaka was traded for the same reasons that James Harden and Reggie Jackson were, they wanted to get something for him instead of letting him walk in free agency.

In that deal, the Thunder acquired Victor Oladipo and forwards Ersan Ilyasova and 11th overall pick Domantas Sabonis. Ilyasova and Sabonis join an already-crowded backcourt with emerging centers in Steven Adams and Enes Kanter, so OKC may not be the best fit for West if he wants to see the floor.

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How about the Golden State Warriors? They are coming off of a record-setting 73-win season. However, they lost in the NBA Finals to the Cavs after leading the series 3-1. Nonetheless, they are a viable option for West if he wants playing time and a chance to win it all.

The Warriors are already losing two big men in Mareese Speights and James Michael McAdoo to free agency. Festus Ezeli is a restricted free agent, but the Warriors likely won’t have cap space to re-sign him if they decide to match Harrison Barnes’ offer sheet instead. That would leave Jason Thompson and Kevon Looney as options behind Andrew Bogut and Draymond Green.

West could easily find minutes and sign for the veteran minimum. The Warriors could easily find minutes for West, even if it’s in a rotational role at power forward, or even as a small-ball center.

Or West could join a team he is very familiar with, the Cavaliers. After spending four seasons with the Pacers, West knows Cleveland well. He has played 32 games against the Cavs and has started 27 of them. He is averaging 14.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in his career against Cleveland.

Joining the defending champions makes sense. With Timofey Mozgov and Richard Jefferson becoming free agents, West could find minutes behind Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson. He could also work well with Channing Frye off the bench.

West would bring playoff experience, having made the playoffs seven times during his 13-year NBA career. He played in 10 games during last year’s postseason with the Spurs, averaging 5.8 points and 3.7 rebounds in 17.6 minutes per game.

If a big man were to get hurt, West would be the ideal candidate to enter the starting lineup. He has started 742-of-893 (83.1 percent) career regular season games. More critically, he started 66-of-83 (79.5 percent) playoff games in his career.

West has a good face-up game. He has the ability to knock down mid-range shots off of the pick-and-roll, and he can hit an occasional three-pointer, he was 3-for-7 from three-point range last season. He also features a couple of post moves, including a hook shot.

Defensively, West is physical and won’t back down from a challenge. The downside of that is that he is prone to picking up technical fouls. Despite being 6-foot-9, he weighs 250 pounds and doesn’t allow opponents to back him down easily.

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The Cavs would be foolish not to pursue West in free agency. If he was willing to leave $12 million on the table to win last summer, he could be due for another postseason run with the reigning NBA Champions.