Cleveland Cavaliers: Evaluating the state of the C position
Evaluating the state of the C position: Who is on the roster?
The center position for the Cleveland Cavaliers has completely turned over since last offseason. In Game 1 of the 2020-21 NBA Season the Cavs started Andre Drummond at the 5, with JaVale McGee and Marques Bolden coming in off the bench. Drummond and Bolden would both be waived my midseason, while McGee was traded at the deadline.
More from King James Gospel
- 3 possible starting lineups for Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023-24
- The Cavaliers may have snagged a hidden gem in Craig Porter Jr.
- 4 players the Cavaliers should pursue in 2024 free agency
- 6 players Cavaliers might replace Jarrett Allen with by the trade deadline
- This stat is one to keep an eye on for Cavaliers’ Max Strus in years ahead
What the Cavaliers have to work with now was brought in my trade throughout the season. Cleveland hopped into the James Harden trade to flip a first-round pick and some cap space for former Brooklyn Nets center Jarrett Allen, while the McGee deal brought in Isaiah Hartenstein.
Technically, as things stand, the Cavaliers don’t have a single center guaranteed for the roster next season. Allen is a restricted free agent coming off of his rookie deal; his cap hold is $11.28 million, and his qualifying offer is $7.7 million. Given that the team made an effort to trade for him it is likely the team prioritizes bringing him back, but with most restricted free agents there is always a walk-away point if another team signs him to a high enough offer sheet.
Hartenstein has a player option for next season at the minimum. He was productive in limited minutes last season and boasts upside as a future low-end starter or high-end backup. Retaining him would be the perfect level of asset allocation for a backup center next season, especially if they pay a hefty fee to bring back Allen. He is unlikely to get more than the minimum somewhere else, so it largely depends on whether he wants to play for the Cavaliers or not.
Kevin Love has historically played a lot of minutes at the 5, and does so at the international level, but he played infrequently there in recent years. Last season just 29 percent of his minutes came at center, per Cleaning the Glass’s estimates. Larry Nance Jr. is more likely to shift up to small forward than down to center, but he can function capably as a small-ball 5 and did so for around 75 minutes last year. Both Love and Nance are under contract for next season.
Finally, both Thon Maker and Anderson Varajao played spot minutes at the 5 last season, but are unlikely to be back.