Cavs: 3 former players to avoid in free agency

Former players to avoid in free agency: 2. Danny Green

Danny Green began his career in Cleveland as a second round pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. He played in 20 games and scored 40 total points, shooting an abysmal 27.3 percent from 3-point range. He was waived before the start of the next season.

Green caught on in San Antonio, and the rest is history. He developed into one of the league’s best 3-and-D wings, winning titles with the Spurs, Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Lakers. Only three players in NBA history have hit more 3-pointers in the NBA Finals than Green’s 59.

There is no question that Green is a player who can help any team, and he would be a useful player on the Cavs. The fact that he is such a useful player means he will command a significant salary in free agency. He is coming off a contract that paid him $15 million per season, and that level of deal should be heading his way again.

To go after Green would mean not re-signing Jarrett Allen to free up cap space, or moving another player on the team to do so. Perhaps the Cavs would try to work out a sign-and-trade with the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Larry Nance Jr.

However they had to do it, it would mean painful cap gymnastics to sign a win-now wing who is much more valuable to contenders than a team early in its life cycle like the Cavs. Green would fill a need, but it’s not an acute need until the Cavs are ready to contend, and they still have hope Isacc Okoro will be the long-term solution to that need.