The Cleveland Cavaliers have been a powerhouse at the start of this season. So far, they have only suffered one loss since opening night and are sitting as the 2nd seed in the Eastern Conference at 8-2. The Cavs have also done it without their star point guard for six games. This has allowed many of their bench players to have the opportunity to step up, and many of them have succeeded in those opportunities.
The bench has been amazing, but could it still be improved?
The Cleveland Cavaliers have a deep rotation, but with an open roster spot could they improve even more? Which two veteran free agents could the Cavs sign?
There is one roster spot open for the Cavs. At the moment, the only question the Cavs have had is their starting small forward spot. Caris LeVert seems to have been the answer to that question in the early going. They are fine at point guard with Darius Garland, Ricky Rubio coming down the line and Raul Neto as the backup two right now.
Their shooting guard spot is great with Donovan Mitchell, Isaac Okoro, and Dylan Windler. The small forward spot consists of Caris LeVert, Dean Wade, and Cedi Osman. The power forward spot is being held by Evan Mobley, Kevin Love, and Lamar Stevens. The centers are Jarrett Allen and Robin Lopez.
Currently, the Cavs’ starting lineup consists of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell in the backcourt, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the frontcourt and Caris LeVert on the wing. The Cavaliers could use free agency to improve the bench, but none of the free agents will be replacing any of the starters unless it is because of injury.
I believe there are two players who could be beneficial for the Cavs if given the opportunity. These two free agents are older veterans, and the Cavs could possibly help give both of them their first ring this season. Let’s start with Carmelo Anthony.
2 Free Agents to bolster the Cavs’ bench: Carmelo Anthony
In the last few years, Carmelo Anthony has finally accepted being a role player. In 2003, he was drafted only two spots behind Lebron James at the 3rd pick by the Denver Nuggets. As a Nugget, Carmelo put up 24.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. On the Nuggets, he was the primary scorer and leader for the team. He was also the same guy for the New York Knicks. In 2011, the New York Knicks made a blockbuster trade to get Carmelo, but lost a lot of their depth in return. As the face of the New York Knicks, Melo put up 24.7 points, 7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. Even with being seen as a superstar, Melo still couldn’t find success in the playoffs.
In 2017, Melo decided that he wanted to try to win a ring with other all-stars. He was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder to create a big 3 with Russell Westbrook and Paul George. On the Thunder, Melo’s stats began to dip down to 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. However, this is when the Thunder began to want Melo to come off the bench. Melo did not want that.
On July 25, 2018, the Thunder decided to move Carmelo to the Atlanta Hawks, but he only lasted 5 days there before being waived. This is when he started to begin to become a journeyman. In August 2018, the Houston Rockets decided to sign him, but then traded him to the Chicago Bulls in January 2019. Melo was again waived in February 2019.
Things were uncertain about his career at that time, but then he received a chance in November 2019 from the Portland Trail Blazers. He did the best he could with that chance by putting up 15.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, and was willing to accept the bench role. He was rewarded with another contract by the Blazers for his play. The last contract he received was by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021.
I believe that Carmelo Anthony could be a good guy to have on the Cavs bench. He is a ten-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA player. With a depth of LeVert, Dean Wade, Cedi Osman, and Melo, the Cavs could have an easier time dealing with injuries to their wing rotation. Melo could be a voice along with Kevin Love in the locker room as well. The Cavs could give him an opportunity to become a champion when other teams couldn’t. Just imagine LeBron when he sees Melo winning a ring on his former team.
2 Free Agents to bolster the Cavs’ bench: DeMarcus Cousins
The other free agent that the Cavs could benefit from is DeMarcus Cousins. DeMarcus has been one of the most iconic players in the past 10 years due to his emotions on the court. He is a four-time All-Star, but also a player ejected on several occasions. Cousins was a force as the face of the Sacramento Kings, but due to injury, fell down to a role player.
Cousins was drafted with the 5th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings. During his time on the Kings, he put up 21.1 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. He could not lead his team into the playoffs at all when he was on the Kings. In 2017, the Kings decided to trade Cousins to the New Orleans Pelicans. Cousins saw the best combination of personal and team success while being in a “big 3” consisting of him, Anthony Davis, and Jrue Holiday.
Then after dealing with an Achilles injury he was a free agent looking for a home. In 2018 Cousins made the controversial decision to sign with the Golden State Warriors and join Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. They were seen to be the future 2019 champs, but they fell to the Toronto Raptors in the Finals.
The next offseason began to put Cousins on the road to becoming a role player. In July 2019, he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, but then was waived in February 2020. In November 2020, the Houston Rockets signed him, but he was waived again in February 2021. He signed two 10-day contracts with the Los Angeles Clippers and was picked up for the rest of the 2021 season. Cousins was picked up by the Milwaukee Bucks in November 2021 but waived in January 2022. The last team he was on was the Denver Nuggets on which he averaged 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds.
I believe that Cousins could be a good backup center for Jarrett Allen. Cousins is only 32 years old and still has gas left in the tank. He would have to battle with Robin Lopez to get minutes, but he could still be a mentor for Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. He could help bring more energy to the bench. The Cavs could give him an opportunity to get a ring and could help fix his reputation.
Melo and Cousins deserve one last chance, and the Cavs could give it to them. These two could help get the Cavs over the top and the Cavs could give them a ring. All they need is a shot. Maybe they could be the Cavs’ next dawgs.