Not every offseason you get to trade for an All-NBA caliber player such as Donovan Mitchell. Last offseason was a huge success for the Cleveland Cavaliers, landing an All-Star starter player in Mitchell, and he as well as the rest of the Cavs clinched a playoff spot for the first time since LeBron James was in town.
This next offseason, the Cavs will not have their first-round pick, as it will go to the Indiana Pacers. The pick was lottery protected, but now since the Cavs are locked in the playoffs, Cleveland won’t make that selection. However, the Cavs do have a second-round pick from the Golden State Warriors. That pick seems to be projected around the middle of the second round, as of now.
Looking at the salary table, the Cavs will have Caris LeVert, Dylan Windler, Danny Green, Raul Neto, Robin Lopez, and their two-way players Mamadi Diakite and Isaiah Mobley enter free agency. That means the Cavs will have to restructure their bench and roster once the draft and free agency start, and will have to figure out their new rotation.
There are many routes Cleveland can go this offseason, but the main goal for the Cavs is to really build their bench and find players that fit the mold that J.B. Bickerstaff has for his guys. With all of that said, here are a few priorities for the Cavs this offseason.
Offseason Priority No. 1: Re-sign Caris LeVert
I will admit, I am not the biggest fan of Caris LeVert, but his offensive skill set is too impressive to ignore. He is a wing who averages 3.9 assists per game, and shoots 38.0% from distance. He is averaging 11.9 points per game, the lowest since his rookie season in Brooklyn back in the 2016-17 season. But, he is capable for putting up points in bunches on any given night.’
LeVert has a +/- of +185 this season, and a +/- of +120 when coming off the bench. LeVert is the perfect spark plug for this Cavs roster, and can create offense for himself and others with ease. He is the Cavs’ 6th man, and if he is gone, I am not sure who will be that 6th man next season.
LeVert is also a solid defender, nothing too crazy, but he can hold his own on the defensive side of the ball. Realistically, I could see him landing a 3-year, $48 million contract elsewhere, paying around $16 million per year.
Could he re-sign via multi-year deal at the Nontaxpayer Mid-level Exception? Possibly, factoring in how he seems to be fully bought-in with the Cavs, but he’ll probably have other suitors and sign with a cap space team.
He is 28 years old, so he is in his prime as of now, and shouldn’t be regressing for a few more years.