Cleveland Cavaliers: Complete 2021 NBA Free Agency preview
Complete 2021 NBA Free Agency preview: Final Thoughts
One contract-related decision we have not yet mentioned is whether or not the team will ink a contract extension with Collin Sexton. He is eligible for a rookie extension as early as the first day of free agency, but the window to sign it doesn’t end until October.
The Cavs have seen him blossom into a plus scorer, and there is no question he is a hard worker. He is also a major defensive negative, which is even more of a problem at the 2 than if he was still playing point guard. Given the time to make the decision, it’s reasonable to expect the two sides to take their time here, especially as the Cavs wait to see if the rest of the league decides to up their offer in a trade.
The Cavs know they will be building their team around Evan Mobley and Darius Garland. Does Sexton fit that timeline? He could, but he doesn’t fit well with Garland, and if they decide to keep Sexton they are either capping their ceiling or signaling they want to move Garland.
Regardless, that doesn’t have to be dealt with in early August. Adding pieces to this bench to fill out the rotation does, as does a decision on Jarrett Allen in restricted free agency. If they play the market right they can bring Allen back at a reasonable number, give Isaiah Hartenstein a modest raise, and use some or all of their midlevel to add a strong wing who can play minutes at the 2 and the 3.
What might that look like? Perhaps signing Jarrett Allen for five years, $80 million, then bringing back Hartenstein for a two-year, $4 million deal with a second year player option. Then they split the midlevel between Malik Monk (three years, 15 million) and Abdel Nader (two years, nine million).
However things unfold, the Cavaliers don’t have to feel rushed. They have a core of very young players and will need to be patient as they develop. They aren’t making any noise this year, even if things come together and they make a push into the play-in. Don’t jump the gun, make smart signings and don’t mortgage the future keeping Allen.
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The future is bright in the 216, and they have enough tools in free agency to make small improvements without too much cap space with which to trick them into hurting themselves. It’s the right place to be at this point in their rebuild.