5 free agents the Cavaliers should avoid at all costs this summer

No. 2 free agent to avoid – Kelly Oubre Jr., Charlotte Hornets

The Cleveland Cavaliers want to spend their MLE on a 3-and-D forward. They may end up using it for another reason, but ideally, they will find a balanced, two-way player who can start at small forward and both defend on the perimeter and knock down 3-point shots.

That may lead them to look at Kelly Oubre Jr. in free agency. He’s a long, athletic wing who can guard smaller players but is long enough to interfere with bigger forwards. He also likes to get up 3-pointers, and he has hit as many as 10 3-pointers in a single game before.

Oubre has also missed a whole lot of 3-pointers, shooting just 31.9 percent this season and 33 percent for his career. He has increased his volume significantly, but that hasn’t resulted in greater accuracy. He will be ignored by opposing defenses in the playoffs.

Oubre has also shown he thrives on bad teams and struggles on good teams. His best seasons have been on lottery teams; his worst on teams trying to win something. The Cavs have no track record that suggests he will be a player to lean on in the playoffs. Cleveland should let someone else sign Oubre.