To me, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ bench is one of the worst in the league. The Cavs’ bench scoring average is the 4th-worst in the league, only ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Miami Heat. Their bench points per game are 29.3 points per game, which isn’t that good for a team that had a Sixth Man of the Year candidate last year.
Looking at the Cavs’ bench as of now, it mainly consists of Kevin Love, Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro, and Cedi Osman. Most other players on the bench get DNP’s from time to time, so there isn’t a lot of consistency.
In free agency this upcoming offseason, the Cavaliers could really solidify their bench if they wanted to, and the Mid-Level Exception could also help sign some players. Looking at the main parts the Cavs need off the bench are the shooting guard and center position.
Sure, the point guard position is weak right now, but Ricky Rubio should come back from injury soon, so that should cover the backup point guard slot. As of the backup 5, the Cavs have Robin Lopez, who is on the back end of his career as of now, and shouldn’t really play in the playoffs.
In 2023 free agency, the list of talent goes on and on. Names like James Harden, Khris Middleton, and Kyrie Irving are all names of potential players that should get a big payday in free agency next offseason. Also, Cleveland’s own Kevin Love will be a free agent, so it should probably be imperative for the Cavs to try and re-sign him to a deal, probably a two-year deal, in my opinion. Also, Caris LeVert will also be a free agent, and I’m not sure what his future looks like on Cleveland’s roster, so we’ll have to see what will happen.
However, the bench still does need help, even if Ricky Rubio comes back fully healthy, and Kevin Love and Caris LeVert come back next season to Cleveland.
There is a lot of room to grow, so here are three names that the Cavs could potentially sign in free agency with the Mid-Level Exception.
We’ll begin with Josh Richardson.