3 moves for the Cavs now that the 2022 NBA Draft is over

3 moves for Cavs now that the Draft is over: Find a Small Forward

Ochai Agbaji was a prolific college basketball player last season, helping to lead the Kansas Jayhawks to the NCAA Tournament Championship. He is also 6’5″ tall, which speaks to his most likely position being as a shooting guard. He joins the 6’1″ restricted free agent Collin Sexton, 6’5″ Isaac Okoro and 6’6″ Caris LeVert in a suddenly crowded shooting guard rotation.

Who do the Cavs have at small forward? Unfortunately, not any small forwards. They found some success last season starting seven-footer Lauri Markkanen there, but he is certainly more naturally a power forward and likely leans closer to being a stretch-5 than a full-time 3. Dean Wade and Lamar Stevens are other “power forwards” who will step in and play at the 3; Wade specifically fits the combo forward mold quite well. Cedi Osman is the closest to a traditional small forward, but he plays like a smaller player and the Cavs were terrible last season when he played at the 3.

It’s clear what this team needs is a classic small forward, a player with the size and wingspan to play the 3 but without the foot-speed problems of a big. Markkanen and Wade make for a decent pairing, but the rotation needs versatility and flexibility in putting together lineups. Can they add a small forward given their nearness to the salary cap?

If they re-sign Sexton to a large number, the answer is probably no. That means bifurcated lineups where three bigs play with two small guards, or where three small guards play with two bigs. The league’s most valuable commodity, positionally-versatile wings, are in scarce supply on the Cavs’ roster and around the league.

If the Cavs do have some salary flexibility to work with, they could look to add a small forward with one of their annual exceptions. Gary Payton II, Kelly Oubre Jr. or Nic Batum could all be options at the Taxpayer MLE; perhaps Danuel House, Wesley Matthews or Trevor Ariza could come aboard at the minimum. The team could also add one via trade; a sign-and-trade sending Collin Sexton to the Wizards could see Kentavious Caldwell-Pope return.

The Cavs need wings, and specifically those with enough size to defend forwards. Perhaps Agbaji shows himself strong enough to fill that role, or Dean Wade finally earns the coaching staff’s trust as a full-time starter. In the end, the Cavs need to stop ignoring an important position and find a way to add a player or two to improve this team’s chances moving forward.