3 Cavs that could lose a roster spot to Summer League standouts: Lamar Stevens
SL standout: Luke Travers
Lamar Stevens is a beloved locker room guy, a stout defender who attacks relentlessly whoever he is guarding. He is the impetus for the Cavs’ “Junkyard Dog” postgame award and epitomizes the spirit of what the Cleveland coaching staff wants for its defense. The Cavs are certainly not looking for a reason to replace him.
That being said, he is on a non-guaranteed minimum contract, which would make him relatively easy to move to another team for a draft asset to free up the spot; in a pinch, the Cavs could also waive him. The reason they might do so if for a player with similar defensive intensity but more offensive upside.
That player would possibly be Luke Travers, the Cavs’ late second-round pick out of Australia who has been everywhere on defense for Cleveland in Las Vegas. He tallied five blocks in his first game against the Spurs, and has another four steals in two games of action. He has great anticipation and timing, is stout enough not to get bowled over, and at 6’7″ has the size to defend both forward positions at the least.
Travers has also flashed some offensive skills, although his lack of scoring and shooting will be the biggest impediment to a full roster spot with the team. His passing in particular is sharp, and he has enough of a handle to run some pick-and-roll actions. Stevens is certainly a better player right now, but Travers has the outlines of a player who could fill a “Draymond Green” type role as a playmaker and defender. Does that make Stevens expendable?
The good news for Stevens is that the Cavs can stash Travers back in Australia for another season to let him develop his shot and overall game. That’s the most likely course of action, but it’s very much in play that the Cavs decide they want him developing in their facility.