3 Cavaliers players who definitely shouldn’t be back next season

Isaac Okoro shouldn’t be back next season

The Cavaliers have invested a lot in Isaac Okoro. They used a top-five pick on him in the 2020 NBA Draft, taking Okoro over players like Onyeka Okongwu, Devin Vassell and Tyrese Haliburton. Okoro was handed a starting spot and he largely didn’t relinquish it for three seasons.

Okoro started 174 games over the past three seasons despite never showing improvement on the offensive end. He has been a terrible shooter, a lackluster ball-handler and a poor passer from the start. He was drafted as a defensive menace who could be a co-star on offense; at least the defense came through.

Although he represented the best defensive option on opposing guards, especially after the Cavs traded for Donovan Mitchell, Okoro’s abysmal offensive skillset made hi too easy to ignore in the playoffs, when game plans get particular and defenses are more brazen in ignoring non-threats.

After the Cavaliers have invested so much in Okoro, they have to stop themselves before investing a long-term contract extension in him. While they could ride it out next year until he hits restricted free agency in the summer of 2024, they would be better off trading him this summer before his stock falls even further.