5 free agents the Cavs should sign to fill out the roster
Jameer Nelson
When your primary ball-handler and franchise point guard is a 19-year-old that’s just two years removed from high school, there can’t be enough veteran point guards to surround him with.
George Hill, a 32-year-old point guard that just finished his 11th NBA season, is one such player.
Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue, who was a point guard in the NBA for 11 seasons, can even offer Sexton particularly helpful pro tips — just like Sexton’s former head coach in Avery Johnson, who was a point guard in the NBA for 16 seasons.
Free agent Jameer Nelson, a 36-year-old point guard with 14 years of NBA experience, is another such player that Sexton can learn from. Nelson also has the distinction of being the only point guard out of the aforementioned players to have an All-Star season. That’s an aspect of Nelson’s career that Sexton can aspire to and has the talent to reach, especially if guided in the right direction.
The biggest area where Nelson will help Sexton is as a distributor.
Nelson is a tough and built point guard who made name for himself as a solid slasher, three-point threat (career 36.8 percent shooter from three), facilitator (career average of 5.1 assists per game) and defender (20.6 career defensive win shares).
He can still provide that playmaking (3.6 assists per game last season) and while the only way he’ll see the floor will be because of injury, he’ll be ready to contribute when his number is called on. Nelson, the winner of 2016’s NBPA Teammate of the Year award, will also be a valuable locker room presence and leader.
There are anecdotes about his team-bonding activities and a team like the Cavs could use that type of energy in the wake of LeBron James’ departure.