Why proposed Cavs trade for Raptors forward isn’t worth the squeeze

Proposed Cavs trade for Otto Porter: Why it works

There is very little to point to in Isaac Okoro’s play thus far this season that brings confidence in his ability to be an impact rotation player in the playoffs. The Cavs have given him plenty of run at times, including multiple starts, and he has responded with his worst offensive season and a whole bucket of timidity.

Defensively he has been fine, but with Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland starting this team needs more size on the wing. That’s why lineups with Dean Wade and Lamar Stevens are more successful, and why Okoro isn’t the option at the 3.

As for Porter Jr., he shined last season as a crucial member of the Golden State Warriors rotation. He shot 37 percent from 3-point range and was dynamic on the glass, filling a low-usage but valuable role. That floor spacing helped to open the floor up for Stephen Curry’s pick-and-roll game to thrive.

Porter is probably best deployed as a stretch-4 than as a pure 3, but all of the Cavs’ best options at small forward are actually 4s and they will welcome his size and shooting. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, he would provide a battle-tested option to fill out the rotation and give them a dangerous weapon to deploy in the playoffs. Doing that without giving up any draft capital is a nice bonus.