Stock up, stock down for Cavs’ pending free agents

Stock up for Cavs’ pending free agents

We will start with the positive: which players have seen their stock improve since the start of the season?

Kevin Love finally had a bounce-back year in 2021-22, finishing second in Sixth Man of the Year voting as one of the best per-minute players in the league. Playing a bench role behind Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley was perfect for the veteran big, and he stayed generally healthy for the entire season.

This season has proven that last year was not a fluke but rather the new reality for Kevin Love. He is one of the best high-volume 3-point shooters at the big positions, and his rebounding, passing and scoring are all incredibly valuable. He’s a mess defensively, but in the right ecosystem he can still be very impactful. He won’t make as much on his next deal as he is now, but compared to where things stood he has stabilized his value.

Lamar Stevens has also helped his stock tremendously. Coming into the year he looked to be the odd man out rotationally, and that’s what happened early on. Then he was suddenly elevated into the starting lineup and stepped up to the task, and he probably doubled his annual salary expectations for next season as a result. He’ll probably entertain offers at the TaxPayer Mid-Level if the Cavs let him hit free agency (his contract has a team option for next year).

Mamadi Diakite is on a two-way contract but has flashed some significant skill and athleticism with Cleveland, even starting in their surprise beatdown of the Philadelphia 76ers late last month. He’ll get a full contract, with the Cavs or another team, if he continues playing at that level. Finally, Robin Lopez should earn another contract next summer after showing he can still play, even in a small role.