The Cleveland Cavaliers’ early postseason exit brought attention to Cleveland’s most exploitable faults. Along with the lack of depth at the three spot, the Cavs desperately need a backup big to help Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen when they need to rest.
Though everybody loves Robin Lopez, if the Cavaliers want a trip to the NBA Finals any time soon, President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman will probably upgrade the team’s frontcourt depth this summer.
While Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell have undeniable talent at sinking long range jump shots consistently, neither of Cleveland’s frontcourt anchors offer any perimeter scoring. Thus, we are looking at centers that stretch the floor and open the Cavaliers to more offensive diversity. Drawing defenses out to the perimeter opens driving lanes, allowing NBA All-Defensive First Team Forward Evan Mobley another type of center to pair next to himself as he develops his offensive capabilities.
Additionally, as the Cavs’ cap space continues to diminish with more expensive contracts piling up, managing to find the right fit to come off the bench without breaking the bank is crucial to a successful offseason. With that, here are three potential budget bigs the Cavaliers should target this summer.
Budget Big No. 1: Jay Huff, Capital City Go Go
Signing a three-point shooting big allows the Cavaliers to experiment with offensive schemes, but taking a chance should not mortgage the team’s future salary availability. This means the Cavs could look for players with something to prove. If that is the objective, Jay Huff has been a tall defensive juggernaut with dead eye aim at 40.4% from three in the G League with the Capital City Go Go, the Washington Wizards G-League affiliate, on just under two attempts per game. He had flashes with the Wizards as well.
JAY HUFF WITH THE EXCLAMATION POINT ❗️ pic.twitter.com/AVg3p2CYXL
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) April 8, 2023
Since Huff is currently on a two-way contract with the Wizards, he is not a traditional free agent; however, players in the G-League can be signed to any NBA main roster for a chance to play for a long term career in the Association. The Cavs have been no stranger to signing G-League talent. Both Dean Wade and Sam Merrill have recently signed multi-year deals with Cleveland after proving themselves on the Cleveland Charge.
Jay Huff not only provides quality interior defense, recording at least four blocks in over half a dozen G-League contests this past season. On the Cavs, Jay Huff would likely be a terrific fit next to Evan Mobley and allow Jarrett Allen to rest without limiting Cleveland’s lineup options. He hustles each play, bullying in the paint to grab each and every missed shot.
Taking a flyer on Jay Huff is a cheap, low risk move for Cleveland to retain agility to bring more talent to the Land rather than spending big on one major free agent choice.