Cavs should follow the Lakers’ lead with their Russell Westbrook decision

Who should the Cavs start instead?

The problem with moving Caris LeVert to the bench is that the Cavs don’t have an obvious player to swap into the lineup for him. That sounds like it was a similar issue for the Lakers, who have a perilously thin bench, but the problem for the Cavs isn’t that they don’t have talent on the bench, but that none of the other options fit perfectly for what the Cavs need.

Cedi Osman and Dylan Windler both have the size and some of the shooting potential to fill the role, but Osman has been wildly inconsistent the past few seasons and doesn’t appear to be a favorite of head coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s. Windler can’t stay healthy, missing the entirety of the preseason with an ankle injury. Lamar Stevens brings defensive heft but his off-ball offense is paltry and he’s probably on the wrong side of the rotation entirely on nights when everyone is healthy.

The options come down to Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro, and while neither are excellent options both are better fits than LeVert. Wade fits the “3-and-D” mold, but he has a low ceiling as a player and at 6’9″, 228 lbs would have a hard time running with guards. His insertion into he starting lineup would raise their floor the most.

Okoro would represent the best chance to raise their ceiling, to capture a longtime starter among their current roster. He has the defensive chops, and can take on anyone from Tyrese Maxey to Tobias Harris. He will struggle against the biggest wings, but perhaps in such scenarios he and Evan Mobley can swap out. He’s also the team’s best guard defender, a huge benefit to a team starting two defensive negatives in the backcourt.

The problem for Okoro is his shooting, both the volume of 3-point attempts and his accuracy. If he can take a step forward as a shooter, suddenly he becomes an excellent fit at the 3. Last year he shot better than LeVert’s career-mark from deep, so if he can dial that up just a bit he’ll be a worthy pick to start at the 3.