The Cleveland Cavaliers announced on Sunday that they have converted Moses Brown to a standard NBA contract, as was first reported by Kelsey Russo of The Athletic. This move comes after the team waived guard RJ Nembhard, as was noted in a team press release, giving Brown the team’s last roster spot and making him eligible for the Play-In tournament as well as the playoffs if the Cavaliers make it that far.
Nembhard was given a two-way deal again, so he’ll be within the organization still, but not available for the postseason.
#Cavs have signed two-way center Moses Brown to a new deal for the rest of the season, making him eligible for the Play-In Tournament and playoffs, source says.
— Kelsey Russo (@kelseyyrusso) April 10, 2022
OFFICIAL: #Cavs convert C Moses Brown to a standard NBA contract and sign G RJ Nembhard to a two-way contract.
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) April 10, 2022
This move was a sensible one for Jarrett Allen injury insurance, and Brown has made his presence felt when given the chances.
Making this move now can cause some concern regarding Jarrett Allen‘s injury recovery. Over the last couple of weeks, Allen has reportedly been progressing, but there was still no time table. There have been videos of Allen warming up pre-game so that should be a sign of encouragement but I wouldn’t expect him to be ready for Tuesday’s Play-In game; that seems unlikely, too, per a report from Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required).
Even if Allen returns, Brown being playoff eligible makes sense for insurance purposes. Brown has been a serious boost for the Cavaliers during what can be noted as their most grueling stretch. In five starts with the team, Brown notched four double-digit rebound games and shot 64.9% from the field.
His enormous frame made him a solid lob/drop-off threat and prone to drawing fouls. Over the five games he started, his 4.4 free throws per game were the most by a starter.
Defensively, Brown did about as solid as anyone could ask for. Once again, his 7’2″, 245-pound frame allowed him to alter a couple of shots and just take up space in the paint. When defending on the perimeter, things got wonky as his slow feet and hips were exposed a few times.
Overall, Brown’s play has been just about what the Cavaliers could have asked for and then some. His energy and style of play make him serviceable insurance and someone who can stick around past this season.
As for the Cavaliers in general, the team takes on the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday for the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, a club they just lost to, despite a valiant comeback effort, on Friday. If they lose, they play the winner for the 9/10 matchup for the final playoff spot. Looking back on the season, despite how it’s ended, this year was so much more than what fans could have asked for.
The progressions that Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen made helped accelerate the team’s rebuild. Evan Mobley looks like a future superstar in this league and the team still has Collin Sexton ready to remind the league of his capabilities next season.
Adding the right pieces, continuing to get creative in certain aspects, and further hammering down the culture are all things that the Cavs will have to do to keep this team atop the Eastern Conference for years to come.