3 must-get players the Cavaliers should pursue in free agency

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Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Cavaliers must-get free agent: Harrison Barnes

Here’s the big swing the Cavaliers could make in free agency, chasing a legitimate difference-maker on the wing. Harrison Barnes is playing a key role on a really good Sacramento Kings team, but he and rookie Keegan Murray overlap in a lot of ways and the Kings could be priced out of retaining Barnes.

The difficulty for the Cavs is that they can’t afford Barnes, either. He’s not going to sign for the MLE; he’ll be looking for something north of $20 million per season. Barnes may be averaging just 15.1 points per game, but he continues to be highly efficient and as a two-way combo forward who can defend 3s and 4s he will be a coveted player in free agency.

How can the Cavs sign him? It would need to be via a sign-and-trade this summer, sending salary back to the Kings. Perhaps that means Cedi Osman and Isaac Okoro, or Caris LeVert in a sign-and-trade himself. The Cavaliers don’t really have bad salary, so it’s possible the Kings will be ok with a second-round pick thrown in to make it worth their while.

Barnes could step in and start at small forward, giving the Cavs size and shooting. He can then downshift to power forward in lineups with Evan Mobley to give the Cavaliers a hyper-switching group. A lineup with Mobley, Barnes and Dean Wade would be a defensive monster.