3 Cavs players on the hot seat after 2022 NBA Draft

3 Cavs players on the hot seat after 2022 NBA Draft: Cedi Osman

Cedi Osman has had a bumpy career in the NBA, all of it with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played a small rotational role on the last LeBron James playoff team, then when handed a larger role on a rebuilding team Osman alternated solid seasons with mediocre ones. Last year he played in 66 games and served as a second-unit mainstay, developing chemistry with Kevin Love.

The idea of Osman is great. He is 6’7″, with enough size that he should be able to defend forwards. He has a smooth-looking jumpshot and is unafraid to pull-up from distance or to launch off the catch coming off of screens. If he has a lane to the basket he will drive there with confidence. That is the recipe for a very reliable role player, the kind you want playing big minutes in your rotation in a playoff setting.

Unfortunately, Osman hasn’t delivered on any of those ideas of what he could be. Despite his size he is frequently bowled over or blown past by opposing perimeter players. However his shot looks, it doesn’t go in consistently; he is a career 34.9 percent shooter from deep, and has hit only 71.8 percent of his free throws. He shot a respectable 65.4 percent at the rim last year, but he was abysmal from midrange.

If Osman can’t be relied upon to defend, and isn’t a great shooter, he serves little purpose in the Cavs’ rotation. That was proven out as his role was reduced at the end of the season and into the Play-In Tournament. The Cavs need either defense or shooting, and ideally both, on the wing. By drafting Ochai Agbaji, the team now has a hand-picked and ready-made replacement for Osman. Don’t be surprised to see him moved before the start of the season. If he stays, it will likely be a very tiny role for him.