The Cleveland Cavaliers have taken their time in free agency this summer, not signing a single player who wasn’t with the team last year. The primary reason the Cavs likely feel comfortable going slowly is that they have four players on non-guaranteed contracts who can play for them this season if they don’t land more players.
Ten players are on guaranteed contracts at this point in the offseason, including the re-signed Jarrett Allen and the newly traded-for Ricky Rubio. Behind those players on the roster line are the four players on non-guaranteed deals: Damyean Dotson, Dean Wade, Mfiondu Kabengele and Lamar Stevens.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have four players on non-guaranteed contracts at the back end of their roster. Who should the Cavs keep, and who should they cut?
The Cavs could elect to go into next year with all four still on the roster, but with multiple needs still present on the roster they are more likely to cut one or two as they fill out the rest of their rotation. That means they will have to decide who to keep, and who to cut.
Let’s walk through each of the four, highlighting what they bring to the table and what the Cavs should ultimately do with them. We’ll start with the player who got the most run last year, Dean Wade.
Playing Keep or Cut with Cavs players: Dean Wade
An undrafted forward out of Kansas State, Dean Wade has hung around at the back end of the roster for two seasons now. Last year was something of a breakout for him, as he not only played in 63 games (second on the team to Isaac Okoro) but he started 19 as injuries ravaged the frontcourt.
While not a prolific scorer, Wade got loose for some big games when his shot was falling. He scored 21 points on 5-of-8 shooting from 3-point range in an April game against the New Orleans Pelicans, and had 19 points and 12 rebounds in a May contest against the Indiana Pacers.
Wade’s impact on the defensive end is the main reason he’s still in the league, and he was able to leverage that during his minutes as well. He has quick hands and knows how to be in the right place. He lacks starter upside, but he has already proven himself reliable in a bench role.
The Cavs are currently well-stocked at the power forward position, but that could change quickly. Evan Mobley, Kevin Love and Larry Nance Jr. could all see minutes at the 5, opening up room on the 4 line. The team could buy out the rest of Love’s contract (or perhaps even find a trade partner), and Nance is a low-end starter on a great contract who will generate trade buzz whenever the team is ready to move him.
Keeping Wade on a minimum deal is a solid use of a roster spot, and he will likely see time at some point in the season backing up Evan Mobley at the 4.
Verdict: Keep
Playing Keep or Cut with Cavs players: Mfiondu Kabengele
Most players fighting to stick with a roster were taken late in the second round or went undrafted, trying to earn their first guaranteed deal in the league. Mfiondu Kabengele is an outlier as a recent first-round pick, who flamed out so quickly that the LA Clippers simply cut him.
He caught on with the Cavs last season and played in 16 games for the team, averaging around 11.6 minutes per game in spot roles. The theory behind Kabengele is tantalizing: a shot-blocking, rebounding center who can space the floor beyond the arc.
Unfortunately Kabengele has struggled to put that combination of traits together through 51 career games. He has been decent on the defensive end as the rebounding has been there, and he built on that strength by clearing the glass often during the NBA Summer League this month. He blocks shots at a good clip, but is frequently out of position leaping for the block.
Offensively very little has come together for Kabengele. He has shot just 31.4 percent from 3-point range in his career, including just 26 percent last season. For a big his 37.1 percent field goal percentage is extremely poor, but especially since he is often generating high-percentage putback opportunities by crashing the offensive glass.
Kabengele should have dominated Summer League, but while he was a strong rebounder he still couldn’t capture his offensive game in Las Vegas, even when Isaac Okoro and Evan Mobley were shut down. His talent is undeniable, and it wouldn’t be terrible to keep him around and see if he can take a step forward. Even so the odds are so long that at this point the team would be better served adding a backup center with his roster spot who can be relied upon. Kabengele, unfortunately, cannot.
Verdict: Cut
Playing Keep or Cut with Cavs players: Lamar Stevens
The Cleveland Cavaliers do not have a single “big wing” on their roster, the type of combo forward who can defend small forwards and power forwards. Taurean Prince fit the bill but has been shipped to Minnesota; Larry Nance Jr. is more of a “4.5” at this point in his career than a “3.5”.
Enter Lamar Stevens, who stands 6’6″ tall with a 6’9″ wingspan. He weighs 230 pounds and it’s seemingly all muscle, and his core strength equips him to take on whatever defensive assignment is thrown at him. Isaac Okoro is shorter and slighter than Stevens and is better deployed guarding shooting guards than true forwards.
While filling that defensive need, Stevens has shown a fun but inconsistent ability to make shots. Occasionally he hits game-winners, but other times he just doesn’t have it and is tossing up bricks like he’s at a construction site. In his lone season in the NBA he hit only 16 percent of his 3-pointers. He has shown some flashes in NBA Summer League, but not enough to suggest he’s suddenly going to become a plus offensive weapon.
The Cavs don’t have another option for that role on this team, especially not with Prince gone. It’s possible they could sign someone in free agency with a better offensive game to be their “big wing stopper” but there aren’t many options left. Rolling with Stevens as a low-cost, low-use option while letting Okoro learn in the fire seems like the best option for the Cavs.
Verdict: Keep
Playing Keep or Cut with Cavs players: Damyean Dotson
The New York Knicks drafted former Houston guard Damyean Dotson with the 44th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, and he spent three seasons in The Big Apple. His best season came in 2018-19, when increased opportunity provided him with 40 starts, and he averaged 10.7 points per game.
Then the Knicks drafted RJ Barrett and signed a collection of wings, pushing Dotson not only out of the starting lineup but ultimately off the roster. He signed as a free agent with the Cleveland Cavaliers last offseason, with his second season non-guaranteed.
Without delving into his off-court past, Dotson has proven to be a hard-working guard who competes on defense and is willing to shoot. The problem has been that he doesn’t make the shot enough; his field goal percentage has decreased each season he has been in the league, and he is a below-average shooter at 34.6 percent for his career, and just 28.9 percent last season.
If Dotson isn’t a knockdown shooter then he isn’t an NBA player, unfortunately. He doesn’t bring some high-level lockdown defense or passing ability. He is a fine player to toss into a game for a handful of minutes a night to complete a rotation, but those types of players are readily available on the free agent market, and many of them have a higher upside than Dotson.
Verdict: Cut