King James Gospel
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5 free agents the Cavs should sign to fill out the roster

By Quenton S. Albertie

CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 9: Richard Jefferson #24 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts during the game against the Golden State Warriors in Game Four of the 2017 NBA Finals on June 9, 2017 at The Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 9: Richard Jefferson #24 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts during the game against the Golden State Warriors in Game Four of the 2017 NBA Finals on June 9, 2017 at The Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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CLEVELAND, OH – JUNE 9: Richard Jefferson #24 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts during the game against the Golden State Warriors in Game Four of the 2017 NBA Finals on June 9, 2017 at The Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH – JUNE 9: Richard Jefferson #24 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts during the game against the Golden State Warriors in Game Four of the 2017 NBA Finals on June 9, 2017 at The Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Cleveland Cavaliers have a few open roster spots remaining. Below are five free agents for them to strongly consider as they fill out their roster.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have opted to remain competitive while investing in their young talent despite LeBron James taking his talents to Hollywood and with that decision comes a direction.

The Cavs, who have four open spots on the roster (three if restricted free agent Rodney Hood re-signs, as he’s widely expected to do), must fill their third-string unit with veterans or a mix of veterans and developmental talent.

The depth that’s needed comes at point guard (where a veteran guard would likely be preferred), the wing (either a shooting guard or small forward) and power forward (where a player could expect to see consistent playing time) and while filling those spots with players who have the right skillset is important, so is filling those spots with players who have the right personality.

Richard Jefferson

With the Cleveland Cavaliers opting not to tank and displaying a desire to keep the seats filled, perhaps the return of a fan favorite in Richard Jefferson is in order.

While being placed in a competitive environment, Jefferson will be a veteran that new team leader Kevin Love can lean on to dole out harsh messages for the team. Jefferson isn’t afraid to criticize but he’s not a malicious person and will be someone who the Cavs need, in that sense.

At 38-years-old, he’ll be a third-string small forward, so he’s unlikely to be needed on the court. However, he’s a true professional who’ll be ready to step up when his number is called.

Jefferson would be a tremendous pick-up for the Cavs from a chemistry and leadership standpoint and for that alone, he should be receiving interest from Cleveland.

Jefferson, who was a part of the Cavs’ championship team, has played in 1,321 career games (postseason included). He’s averaged 5.1 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game on 45.2 percent shooting from the field and 35.5 percent shooting from three-point range over the last three seasons (173 games).

He’s not a volume scorer anymore but will make the right decisions with the basketball in a low-usage role. He’s not an elite defender but he’s retained enough athleticism to be effective, particularly with his competitiveness and experience.

At this point in his career, Jefferson can best be described as a “glue guy” — on and off of the court.