Earlier this month, it was reported that the Cleveland Cavaliers agreed to terms with free agents Ricky Rubio, Raul Neto and Robin Lopez, all three of whom were veteran acquisitions. Rubio’s deal was for three years and $18.4 million, with the third season partially guaranteed, whereas Neto and Lopez’s deals were veteran’s minimum signings.
It’s uncertain as to when Rubio will be available and fully back, if you will, next season for Cleveland, as he’s still working his way back from a torn ACL dating back to late December. Rubio turned out to be a heck of an add last offseason via trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves, and while his then-expiring contract was part of the Caris LeVert trade with the Indiana Pacers in February, it was not shocking that he returned in free agency. That was a widely rumored possibility this offseason.
As for Neto, he looks to be playable insurance behind Darius Garland, and can help Cleveland until feasibly January until Rubio is able to get back, and I’d think Neto could play in some stretches when Rubio is back if needed in a rotational sense.
Lastly, regarding the three aforementioned signings, Lopez should be a serviceable reserve 5, and can help Cleveland on the interior on both ends. His playing time will be somewhat matchup-dependent, seemingly, but he was a nice team friendly add, I thought.
With that in mind, what should Cavaliers fans maybe look to see from Lopez next season, then?
Along those lines, we’ll touch on two realistic expectations to see from Lopez with the Cavs in 2022-23.
In that realm, we’ll examine the first thing to expect from the vet big in rotational time with the Cavs next year.
Realistic expectation #1 for Lopez with the Cavs in 2022-23: Lopez provides playable offensive depth at the 5, and helps some with rim protection
The first realistic expectation for Lopez next season with the Wine and Gold is him being playable depth, offensively in this sense, and he can help some with rim protection in stretches.
With Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, the latter to some extent still I’d think, Lopez won’t be an every game-type of contributor, but he can be particularly useful in some matchups, and when the looks do come, he can give the Cavs an offensive lift.
Lopez did not have a consistent role with the Orlando Magic last season, with them firmly tanking and prioritizing getting young players minutes. He did 7.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest, which was fine in his role, albeit in only 36 appearances.
Lopez has shown in other stops in his career, such as with the Chicago Bulls from 2016-17 through 2018-19 and with the Washington Wizards in 2020-21, that he’s a viable interior offensive player, though.
Lopez, who had 9.1 points per game with Washington in rotational play in 2020-21 in 19.1 minutes on average, has been money on hook shots in recent seasons. And despite the motion being goofy looking, he gets it done in those plays, and could help Cleveland in some stretches where Allen gets a breather.
Lopez is a nice roller, too, and can make a difference as a 7-foot screening presence, and at times, he’s able to make plays on push shots or lay-ins after pocket feeds in pick-and-roll. Those are things to anticipate in his minutes.
As far as defensively, Lopez is not a dude who you want in there every game, as he’s hardly Allen or Mobley and is limited in terms of quickness and/or fluidity, and he’s up there at 34. However, he can help the Cavaliers a good deal in defensive glass cleaning in spurts, and his 7-foot-6 wingspan is still meaningful for rim protection.
He is a high IQ team defender also, and as a veteran, can make an impact as a communicator and help young guys sort through off-ball defensive assignments. Granted, I do acknowledge that he is defensively limited when it comes to mobility, but his presence offensively for a few stretches in games could aid Cleveland and his frame and finishing/screening are useful.
Realistic expectation #2 for Lopez with the Cavs in 2022-23: He’s an exemplary teammate that’s self-aware, and the fan base fully embraces him
The second realistic expectation for Lopez next season with the Cavaliers would be he’s a fan favorite and quickly establishes himself as a guy who his teammates love as an exemplary locker room presence.
Lopez is a player that, despite him being well-traveled, with the Cavs next being his ninth team in what will be 15 seasons, has always been a player guys have loved being around and seemingly playing with.
I understand that he’s not going to have a significant role in the way Allen or Mobley will next season for the Cavaliers, obviously, but he can help those guys and other young players behind the scenes, and he’ll give the club energy on and off the floor.
Additionally, as our own John Suchan highlighted recently, he again has the makings of a fan favorite, as Lopez is such a funny and light-hearted dude, which is never a bad thing when it comes to veteran reserve players that will be self-aware.
Lopez appears to be just that, too, considering he was still in a jolly mood with the Magic last season, even with them typically prioritizing getting young guys their share of time instead with them in the tank.
Anyway, while Lopez will be turning 35 next year in April, and one has to assume he’s not going to be playing a big role regularly, I do still believe he can be playable depth at the 5 next season for Cleveland. And he’ll be a clear upgrade over Ed Davis, and later on in the season, Moses Brown, by comparison, with what Lopez can provide offensively.
I think his team-friendly signing might turn out better for the Cavs than many expect.