Three players Cavs can acquire from Lakers
Larry Nance Jr.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would seem like the easy choice but it’s hard for me to see the Cavs wanting a player on probation who shoots 33.7 percent from three for his career despite possessing the three-and-D moniker. Especially a player getting paid $17 million. It would be like getting a poor man’s J.R. on a worse contract.
However, Akron-born Larry Nance Jr. is a player who could intrigue the Cavs. To start, his namesake carries weight with the organization. His father, Larry Nance, is a franchise legend for the Cavs organization and his arrival would certainly come with much fanfare.
Aside from the legacy factor, Nance is just a good basketball player and he’s certainly got his father’s genes. Nance Sr. was a three-time All-Star, three-time All-Defensive player and Slam Dunk champion (1984).
Nance while springy and versatile enough to play either the power forward or center position also impresses with his basketball IQ and defensive potential.
At 6-foot-9 and 230 pounds, he’d be undersized against the more traditional bigs in the league. However, in small lineups, or lineups that focus on pace and space, he’d be a great fit at either the four or five.
Knocking down 41.0 percent of his shots from 16-24 feet for his career and 22.9 percent of his threes, he’s not the pick-and-pop option that a player like Lopez would be. However, he would be a devastating rim-roller who bigs might choose to crowd rather than give a running start to rim. Nance puts players on posters like it’s his job (it kind of is).
From a defensive standpoint, Nance has great physical tools, intensity basketball IQ and a desire to be Defensive Player of the Year. He’s said to be a great communicator on the court who holds his teammates accountable.
When it comes to Nance, his defensive presence could be what the Cavs need to most.