Who is left for Cavs at point guard after Day 1 of Free Agency?

Cavs point guard options after Day 1 of Free Agency: Raul Neto

The Washington Wizards went hard after upgrading their backcourt this summer, drafting Johnny Davis out of Wisconsin, trading for Monte Morris and Will Barton, and signing Delon Wright. That’s four new guards, and it likely leaves no room for Raul Neto.

Neto is a quintessential backup point guard. He can handle the ball and set up the offense, but he lacks the on-ball shot creation for himself to score or truly warp defenses to put his teammates in advantage situations. He is the kind of player on offense that you pair with another strong on-ball creator, which made him a good fit with Bradley Beal in Washington and could make him a good fit with Collin Sexton or Caris LeVert in Cleveland.

Last season was a down one for Neto in terms of shooting, as he shot only 29.2 percent from deep, but for his career he has shot 36.6 percent from outside the arc and a robust 80.4 percent from the free-throw line. He shouldn’t kill the Cavs when spotting up around another action, and he can take advantage of sagging defenders to cut into open space; he’s an underrated finisher when he can get to the rim.

Defense is where Neto butters his bread, however, with quick hands and a strong enough frames to take on both backcourt positions. Although John Hollinger’s model ($) valued him at $6.3 million for this season, he is probably available for the minimum. That would make him an excellent option if the Cavs use their mid-level exception on a forward or on Ricky Rubio, who will be out to start the season.