3 buyout candidates for the Cavs to consider signing

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Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers. Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images /

The Cleveland Cavaliers are in a strange position at this point in the season. Over the past three years, and every year without LeBron James for the past two decades, the Cavs have approached the end of the season as an opportunity to get young players more time on the court, and to try to find hidden gems among the available player pool.

Signing players after the Trade Deadline meant non-guaranteed deals for undrafted or second-draft players. Mfiondu Kabengele, Brodric Thomas and Quinn Cook were all late-season fliers last season, and Lamar Stevens and Dean Wade both got extended run and earned a spot on this season’s roster.

This season is different. The Cavs are 35-22, in third place and just two games back of the Miami Heat for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Their point differential of +4.4 is also third, behind Miami and the scorching-hot Boston Celtics (winners of eight straight). They are a team that can legitimately expect to make some noise in the playoffs.

The Cavs continue to win and are in a position to host a playoff series. What players on the buyout market could be candidates to join the team?

Yet they are not a team without holes. Their depth is impressive and has been tested throughout this season as COVID protocols and injuries have sidelined nearly every member of the rotation. As things level out soon — Lauri Markkanen is expected back soon from his ankle injury, and Darius Garland is no longer on the injury report with his back — the Cavs can figure out how they want to manage the back end of their roster.

Kevin Pangos is rumored to be leaving the NBA to return to his spot in Europe, while Ed Davis is merely a strong locker room presence and rare fill-in center. The Cavs could upgrade either one of those spots by looking to the buyout market. As a team jostling for home-court advantage in the playoffs they could be a legitimate destination for veteran players hitting the market.

Who might sign with the Cavs? And what types of players should the Cavs go after? Plenty of teams out there are likely hoping to pick the best players in the buyout pool, but they generally can offer only the minimum; the Cavs have Collin Sexton‘s Disabled Player Exception to offer a slightly larger contract, which could be incentive enough to bring in a talented player.

Let’s jump in and look at three potential targets.