Injuries to the playmakers on the Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t end when Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio were ruled out for the season. Newly acquired Caris LeVert has missed the last four games with a foot sprain and has yet to return, Rajon Rondo has been out the past three games with a toe injury and Darius Garland finally made his return Wednesday night after missing the last three games prior with a sore back.
In wake of the Rondo injury, the Cavs signed Tim Frazier to a 10-day contract that will expire next week if he’s not re-signed. Frazier has appeared in two games for the Cavs, scoring a total of two points in eight minutes of play. He hasn’t necessarily disappointed thus far, simply because the expectations were low to begin with.
Since Frazier is under a 10-day contract and doesn’t seem to offer much at this point, he’ll not likely be signed to a rest-of-season deal eventually. The Cavs should then have an open roster spot after, with that in consideration, and the team could use more playmaking depth. Brandon Goodwin has stepped in and made an impact, but his impact is limited.
Goodwin had an impressive showing in Monday’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves scoring 17 points and dishing out a career-high 12 assists in his first career double-double. However, his presence on defense is hardly felt. The Cavs have struggled on the defensive side of the ball lately, especially when it comes to defending opposing guards.
I think it’s time for the Cavaliers to consider signing a guard that has the ability to defend and make plays. These players could not only serve as insurance options for Garland, LeVert and Rondo, but also as matchup-dependent rotation pieces to handle the ball and help stop the defensive decline.
Here are three guards I think the Cleveland Cavaliers should consider adding to the team, clearly via team-friendly deal.