Cavs should now prioritize adding wing shooter in free agency

The Cleveland Cavaliers landed a big-time prospect in Evan Mobley at #3 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft on Thursday night, and while I’m not going to give them a huge pat on the back, that was the right call there.

Mobley’s all-around game, even for a 7-footer, should provide Cleveland with a guy that’s ready to make things happen in a big way from the jump, and I do believe him and Jarrett Allen can be a duo that can work long term. So I’m glad that was done.

Before the draft, Cleveland’s trading of Taurean Prince, a 2022 second-round pick via the Washington Wizards and cash to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Ricky Rubio was a thumbs up move, too.

While we’ll have to see as far as the minutes and whether or not Rubio might be a piece that could be around past next season, with him expiring, for the short term, that should stabilize the backup point guard position. It should ease the burden on Darius Garland, and to an extent, Collin Sexton, if he sticks around, as well.

So what should be general manager Koby Altman and the Cavaliers’ priority from here in 2021 NBA Free Agency? While it was still of need before, it’s wing shooting.

The Cavs should now prioritize adding a wing shooter in free agency.

Even with Prince being a capable catch-and-shoot player that could create for himself some in spurts, with him having issues staying healthy last season and with him seeming to be a trade candidate with some value anyway, it still appeared that wing shooting might need to be addressed. That’s with the uncertainty with Dylan Windler, also.

Prince helping to upgrade the backup 1 spot was meaningful too, but the free agency focus, in this sense, should now be adding a quality shooter for bench stretches.

The likes of Doug McDermott and Reggie Bullock are reported potential trade candidates, and while I can’t say for certain, perhaps they could have interest in signing for say, $5 million of the roughly $9 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception? That could enable the likes of Cleveland to perhaps bring Dean Wade back via some of that and/or Lamar Stevens; we’ll have on Isaiah Hartenstein, who could seemingly become unrestricted soon.

In any case, while I would expect Isaac Okoro, provided Collin Sexton is not moved, to play his chunk of minutes at the 3, he should still get some playing time at the 2, and McDermott or Bullock could still have a key bench role. Or if needed, either could start at times.

McDermott and Bullock have hit 40.7 and 39.2 percent from three-point range in their careers from three-point range, and had 13.6 and 10.9 points per game last season with the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks, respectively.

For the Cavs in potentially 19-23 minutes per game (or more at times depending on gameflow), their catch-and-shoot abilities, both via spot-ups and plenty off movement, could be very impactful. They are both good cutters, too.

In addition to those potential targets, the likes of Tony Snell, who is a career 39.7 percent shooter from deep and who has hit 43.2 percent in the past three seasons, could be a solid signing. But I’m not sure if he’d have interest in coming to the Cavs, admittedly.

A few others that could potentially have interest, given the possibility to be floor spacers and get their share of PT could perhaps be players such as Sterling Brown and Denzel Valentine.

Or heck, maybe Cleveland could at least sign a restricted free agent offer sheet for Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, who has bounced around, but is a knockdown shooter that has shown some growth as a pull-up threat.

The gyst is, although potential trade targets such as Terrence Ross of the Orlando Magic or Justin Holiday of the Indiana Pacers would be meaningful as an alternative, the Cavs now need to bring in a wing shooter to come in for bench stretches and knock threes down. That could be in stretches/spurts with Isaac Okoro on the floor at the 2, too, for what it’s worth, or just to give him a breather.

But at least in regards to 2021 NBA Free Agency in this case, the priority now for Altman and company should be adding a knockdown wing shooter that can space the floor for other guys, and give Cleveland a lift via off-ball abilities.