While the Cleveland Cavaliers decided not to participate in the 2023 NBA trade deadline, in order to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy again Cleveland will likely need to be active in free agency this summer in order to bolster their Finals contention.
Fewer than two weeks ago, it was assumed that Cleveland would ultimately re-sign both Caris LeVert and Kevin Love; however, with Love’s recent buyout, the only re-signing the Cavaliers will need to worry about is Ohio native LeVert. In that scenario, the Cavaliers will not have much more than the Mid-Level Exception (MLE) available to offer their targets. The most attractive free agents for Cleveland such as Kyle Kuzma or Rui Hachimura will almost definitely be nothing more than a pipe dream for this reason.
Taking a look at possible free agent options, the Cavaliers could have three realistic options that could meet the non-taxpayer MLE. We will take a look at these choices, discuss their possible fit on Cleveland’s roster and consider their impact on the Cavs’ Finals hopes.
No. 1: Harrison Barnes
Sacramento’s Harrison Barnes has been in trade rumors for several years now, but nothing has come to fruition. With the Kings’ success this season, it should be expected that they will want to retain Barnes on their roster, and they have the Bird Rights. Therefore, Barnes is an improbable option, but at 6-foot-8 inches tall, Barnes is the ideal archetype 3-and-D wing from who the Cavaliers would significantly benefit.
Further, the fit for Barnes is remarkable. Considering Cleveland’s recent addition of Danny Green, Barnes appears to be a more complete version of what Green is for Cleveland. Bringing veteran leadership, size, and shooting, Harrison Barnes fills a majority of the holes currently exploited by opposing teams against the Cavaliers.
So far this season, Harrison Barnes has averaged 15 points on 47.2% shooting, including 37.5% from behind the arc. If Harrison Barnes is interested in an expected starting role on a contending team, then a deduction in pay might be alluring enough to depart from Sacramento.
Overall, while Harrison Barnes is a dream fit on this Cleveland roster, Sacramento’s long awaited resurgence toward the NBA Playoffs means they will be hard pressed to watch Barnes leave for nothing.
No. 2: Kelly Oubre, Jr.
Kelly Oubre Jr. is arguably the best realistic option to be in the wine and gold next season. A younger option for Cleveland at 27 years old, Oubre, Jr. of the Charlotte Hornets shows substantial promise to elevate the Cavs to the next level of contention. Further, Oubre had been mentioned in numerous trade rumors prior to the trade deadline, so there is a likely interest by Cleveland’s front office to pursue Oubre.
Bleacher Report suggested Kelly Oubre, Jr. as an ideal trade target, citing his shooting as a benefit for Cleveland; Oubre seemed to be heavily linked to the Cavs prior to injury.
"“The Cavs could use some scoring help on the wing (especially off the bench) as they remain in the Eastern Conference mix.”"
The main issue Cleveland may find in pursuing Oubre is that he can easily command much more than the MLE, meaning that the Cavaliers would need to shed salary to get him. This could come in the form of a sign-and-trade similar to the former Lauri Markkanen deal, or trading a player who gets little to no minutes for nothing but picks.
A sign-and-trade, though, would likely be the best option as Charlotte has Bird Rights. Charlotte is a team looking for future assets rather than contention, so the Cavs could be an enticing partner for the Hornets to ensure they get value from Oubre’s departure with a slew of young talent and a decent reserve of second-round picks.
No. 3: Thomas Bryant
Finally, Thomas Bryant could serve as a sturdy secondary big for the Cavs’ roster. If the Cavaliers do not target wings in free agency and believe in Okoro to continue his growth, then a secondary center with the ability to stretch the floor could serve Cleveland well. With LeVert likely returning next season, the wing rotation for the Cavaliers is Okoro, LeVert, Wade, Osman, Stevens, Windler, and possibly Green. Overall, the wing position is full already; thus, Cleveland’s front office may prefer to unload some of that rotation via trade rather than adding to it in free agency.
On this season, Bryant is shooting three-pointers at 43.1% at about 1 attempt per game. While Bryant does not shoot often, he can keep perimeter defenses honest more than Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley currently do.
While the starting wing position is a more urgent concern, bringing in a big who can defend the paint and shoot from distance consistently gives the Cavaliers another option to set plays around, similar to how they used Kevin Love at the beginning of the season.
Before any of this comes to fruition, the Cavs front office will surely observe how the team performs in the postseason to determine what gaps are most necessary to fill. Even if the Cavs do have a deep Eastern Conference Playoffs push, it is apparent that changes could greatly benefit this roster.
So, in the offseason, look for Koby Altman to showcase his expertise once again.