The Cleveland Cavaliers are so thin on available bodies, and as a result, they’ll reportedly apply for a hardship exception.
As Cleveland Cavaliers fans are well aware of at this point, the Wine and Gold are running low on available bodies at the moment.
Kevin Love (right calf strain/reaggravation) is still expected to be sidelined for two-to-weeks, seemingly, Kevin Porter Jr. (personal) and Matthew Dellavedova (concussion) have yet to appear for Cleveland this season.
Dylan Windler (fourth metacarpal fracture in his left hand) has been sidelined since Cleveland’s first game this season versus the Charlotte Hornets. And Darius Garland (right shoulder sprain) could be out up a week as of Wednesday, and unfortunately, another crushing injury was Dante Exum being expected to miss up to six-to-eight weeks because of a right calf strain.
Plus, while it doesn’t appear he’ll miss time currently, by necessity for the Cavs, really, Collin Sexton hurt his left ankle in Cleveland’s loss Wednesday at the Orlando Magic, and he’s not 100 percent at the moment even. Damyean Dotson hurt his ankle in that Magic game, also.
With the Cavs so banged up right now, though, they are going to apply for a hardship exception this weekend, per a report from Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor. Fedor stated how a point guard is who Cleveland will target.
"“With the thin point guard spot, sources say the Cavs will be applying for a hardship exception that allows them to sign an additional player beyond the usual max. They will target another ball-handler. Burt even that won’t happen until the weekend. Per NBA rules, Exum needs to miss more games for the Cavs to be eligible. It also won’t be a high-level option, just a capable body signed to a 10-day deal, and joining the team after clearing COVID-19 protocols.”"
For further detail on the hardship exception rules, here was more from Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors.
"“It can be granted by the league if a club has at least four players who have missed three or more games due to injury or illness and are expected to out for at least two more weeks.”"
With that background from Adams, one would assume that timetable will apply for Love, Exum, Dellavedova and, well at this point, Windler, as Adams hit on.
So who might the Cavs target with that hardship exception, then? Of names suggested, Shabazz Napier stood out.
Regarding some potential targets of players that are still free agents, Evan Dammarell of Forbes and Fear The Sword, before the Exum update, suggested the likes of Shabazz Napier, Elie Okobo, Emmanuel Mudiay and/or Gary Payton II.
That, or Okobo, Mudiay, or maybe Gary Payton II make sense.
— Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan) January 5, 2021
Napier was the one that jumped out, as he’s had considerable NBA experience and in this situation, could provide even via 10-day deal, some stability as a playmaker. He’d be a logical add, and he could help spell Garland for stretches when he’s back, anyhow.
In 2018-19 with the Brooklyn Nets, Napier had 9.4 points and 2.6 assists per outing as a bench contributor. And last season, in 36 appearances with the Minnesota Timberwolves he averaged 9.6 points and 5.2 assists in 23.8 minutes per outing.
That was before he was moved to the Denver Nuggets near the trade deadline, who then moved him to the Washington Wizards, and with Washington, he put up 11.6 points and 3.8 assists per outing, to go with 1.5 steals in an average of 24.4 minutes.
Napier is a player that could fill in as a spot starter at the 1 if needed for the Cavaliers, if they were to add him via that hardship exception. That could ease the playmaking burden some on Collin Sexton, and could aid Larry Nance Jr., Isaac Okoro and Cedi Osman, in turn.
Napier has good feel in the pick-and-roll game, can get things done via the pull-up/floater game and while he’s been pretty streaky from three-point range, the 29-year-old could potentially help Cleveland in that regard if he were to be on.
On the defensive end, Napier, who has a career steal rate of 2.3 percent, isn’t a stopper, per se, and is only 6-foot and 175 pounds, albeit Cleveland’s rim protectors/rotators could help him to an extent. And Napier has shown the propensity to make some plays in the passing lanes, which could help create easy baskets going the other way in a stint with the Cavs.
Some rust of course would have to be expected for Napier, if the Cavs were to add him, though, but the Cavs could use his services, even via presumed 10-day deal.
Based on Fedor’s above comments, it wouldn’t appear that Napier, or a different player Cleveland would be signing if they were to be granted that hardship exception, would potentially be signed to another deal by the Cavs, anyhow. After all, Porter, when he’s back, could definitely help Cleveland’s playmaking/perimeter scoring efforts, for one, and Garland should be back soon enough.
Albeit if Napier does do very well, perhaps he could be signed to a deal for the remainder of the season, if Cleveland were to waive feasibly one of Dean Wade or Thon Maker?
Again, it doesn’t appear likely, though, but Napier, to reiterate, would be a logical add via hardship exception, either way.