Do the Cavs have interest in signing Andrew Bogut?

The Cleveland Cavaliers could look to sign Andrew Bogut next week.

Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe has reported that free agent center Andrew Bogut is expected to be cleared by doctors to return to basketball activities.

Bogut, who the Cleveland Cavaliers signed last season before a leg injury resulted in his release, elected against having surgery on his broken tibia last season.

As a collision with Okaro White of the Miami Heat ended his season with the Cavs within a minute of his team debut, the team found itself scrambling to find a suitable replacement.

First they would sign Larry Sanders, once a reputable rim-protector (and rebounder) and young enough to still be one if he dedicated himself to the task. Sanders would be released at the end of the season because of how long it was taking him to get back into basketball shape after a two-year exile from the league. Then the team would sign Edy Tavares, a 7-foot-3 big man with a knack for shot-blocking, as you would imagine. However, Tavares lacked in-game experience and the agility necessary to be anything more than a situational player.

Considering that the Cavs traded for center Ante Zizic when he would bring their roster to 17 players, the team may not think Tavares is the answer for them as a backup center either.

Could Bogut, a player who can affect the game with his interior defense, rebounding, passing and a wealth of NBA experience (12-year veteran), be on the Cleveland Cavaliers radar? While there are four teams interested now, there were 10 teams interested before.

The Cavs could very well be one of the six teams no longer interested in his services. Still, Bogut’s experience gives him a real advantage over Zizic and Tavares.

Bogut’s interior defense could be highly beneficial with Isaiah Thomas, Derrick Rose and Kyle Korver on the roster given that those three struggle to defend on the perimeter and players are likely to attack the paint a lot against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Those big centers that could score on Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and Channing Frye at will would have their hands full with Bogut.

On offense, Bogut isn’t the greatest finisher but he is a great passer in the open and halfcourt. He’ll help players like James, Rose and Jeff Green score in transition while also hitting talented, open shooters in the halfcourt. Screen assists aren’t passes but they count to and he could clear a lot of space for players like Thomas, Rose and James to turn the corner on their way to the basket.

He’d certainly have a role on the team but will the Cavs sign him?

They’d only have to release Tavares, Zizic and Kay Felder to do it. So it’s certainly possible.

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