One free agent target for Cavaliers from each remaining playoff team

Free Agent Target No. 4: Malik Beasley, Los Angeles Lakers

The Cleveland Cavaliers signed veteran wing Danny Green off of the buyout market to try and fill a void on the team. They then signed G League standout Sam Merrill to a 10-day contract and later a full deal for the same reason. The Cavs wanted to find a movement shooter to help open up space on the court.

Merrill is a defensive liability and Green may not be back next season, so the Cavaliers could look to sign one in free agency. If so, Malik Beasley is likely the top volume shooter expected to hit the market, assuming the Los Angeles Lakers decline his $16 million team option.

Beasley has found himself largely outside of the Los Angeles Lakers’ rotation in the playoffs, in part because his shot has been shaky since joining them at the NBA Trade Deadline. He is a 37.8 percent 3-point shooter for his career, not quite a sniper like one of the Curry brothers, but it’s his volume that makes him dangerous. He shoots 9.5 3-pointers per-36 minutes for his career and at least 11 each of the last two seasons.

The issue with handing a large contract to Beasley is that he is not much of a plus defender, adding another weak spot into the Cavs’ lineup. Even so, their loss in the playoffs was an offensive one, not a defensive one, and Beasley would immediately help to space the court; he has to be guarded. It’s an intriguing option for the Cavs with their Full Mid-Level Exception if they solve their need for a 3-and-D wing on the trade market.