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Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 early season targets to keep an eye on

By Nathan Beighle

LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 29: Wesley Matthews
LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 29: Wesley Matthews /
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DALLAS, TX – NOVEMBER 11: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dribbles the ball against Wesley Matthews #23 of the Dallas Mavericks in the second half at American Airlines Center on November 11, 2017 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX – NOVEMBER 11: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dribbles the ball against Wesley Matthews #23 of the Dallas Mavericks in the second half at American Airlines Center on November 11, 2017 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

Target #4: Wesley Matthews — the Mavericks sniper

Wesley Matthews, whose game resembles both JR Smith and Kyle Korver, would be a perfect addition alongside those two sharpshooters. Matthews would present different, unique attributes to this team.

Matthews’ defense would be a key upgrade over both Smith and Korver. Smith, who had a -1.7 defensive box plus/minus last season, is one of the Cavs better defenders, but compared to Wesley Matthews, whose worst DBPM in a season is -1.1, he just does not stack up.  He’s also a highly accurate sharpshooter. Matthews has hit over two threes per game in his last seven seasons. Unlike JR, Matthews doesn’t quite have the microwave ability, but he is a more accurate shooting, connecting on over 36% of threes every season throughout his nine-year career.

As for Korver, while his shooting prowess tops that of almost anyone in the NBA, Korver’s lacking defense has impacted his minutes at times. Ultimately, Korver has been one of the Cavs most consistent weapons, but getting a lockdown defender would certainly help out in clutch situations.

Noel and Matthews are in similar situations, but the Cavaliers, due to Matthews $18 million contract, would be a much harder addition since they do not have much wiggle room in their cap. That said, the Mavericks could trade for Iman Shumpert and Channing Frye, two contracts that expire at the end of the season. Shumpert does have a player contract for the following season, but he would probably deny it assuming a trade to Dallas goes down. The Cavs, if they wanted to use them, also have a trade exception from the offseason Kyrie Irving blockbuster trade.

Coach Lue and his staff would have a loaded backcourt, but they should be able to squeeze in the extra sharpshooting. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade would both thrive alongside Matthews.