3 Cavs that earned untouchable status, 4 that should be cut loose

The third Cav who should be cut loose: Ricky Rubio

Ricky Rubio was not a player who was going to playing at the same level as he had in his appearances with the Cavaliers in 2021-22. Then, Rubio gave the Wine and Gold a big-time boost in a move to a supersub-type role, in which he had 13.1 points, 6.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds per contest in his 34 appearances with Cleveland in that campaign.

Rubio’s then-expiring deal was traded to the Indiana Pacers in the Caris LeVert deal, and since, he returned via free agency last offseason, but it was going to take a considerable chunk of this season for him to be available. Rubio was recovering from a torn ACL he suffered near the end of 2021, and it was the second time he tore his ACL in that same left knee.

Needless to say, expectations had to be tempered for him this season, which was to be expected given the injury he was coming off of, and the circumstances, even more so.

This season, though, Rubio was simply not effective nearly enough when he was in action. He was active in 33 games, and in those contests, had 5.2 points and 3.5 assists in 17.2 minutes per appearance in the regular season.

He is still a great passer, and can help get others quality looks for stretches, however, he was way off the mark as a shooter, and looked unplayable in the playoffs against the Knicks. Rubio connected on just 25.6 percent of his three-point attempts in the regular season, and shot 34.3 percent overall.

He can still make a difference defensively, but Rubio being part of a package for a wing upgrade at this stage might be best for the Cavs. Granted, he definitely didn’t help his trade value in 2022-23; even with that, Rubio feasibly healthier next season could be a meaningful vet to have and his 2024-25 season is only partially-guaranteed for roughly $4.3 million.

In any case, Cleveland would be wise to try to move Rubio, who will be 33 next season, with maybe pieces such as Isaac Okoro and/or Cedi Osman and future second-round picks for wing depth or a more offensively viable backup lead guard.

The fourth Cav who should clearly be cut loose: Robin Lopez

Robin Lopez was added last offseason to seemingly fill in in some spurts to give Cleveland relief at the backup 5 spot. Recently prior to signing with Cleveland, Lopez had two decent years with the Washington Wizards in a reserve role, and despite playing minimally with the Orlando Magic the season before, he was alright in his chances then.

There weren’t a ton of opportunities this last go-round with the Cavaliers then for Lopez, either, but they were hardly inspiring minutes. Lopez just isn’t the defensive presence he used to be previously at other stops, and even with his hook shot touch, the mobility concerns with him are glaring and it’s hard to rationalize Cleveland possibly bringing him back next season.

Lopez is 35 and to his credit, just capped his 15th NBA season. He’s long been known as being a terrific locker room guy; for a backup 5 next season and onward, the Cavaliers just need more of an on-court presence there and ideally, plus athleticism.