This trade and signing would make Cavaliers true title contenders
Would these two moves actually work?
The needle that we have presented for the Cavaliers to thread this offseason is very small, but that doesn’t mean that it is impossible. While it seems unlikely on the surface that the Cavs could turn Jarrett Allen and Isaac Okoro into Jerami Grant and Brook Lopez, each move seems reasonable when taken in turn.
The Cavaliers would trot out a starting lineup of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Jerami Grant, Evan Mobley and Brook Lopez. That group should have no problems keeping the defense around league-best levels, with two of the top Defensive Player of the Year finalists in the frontcourt. On offense, Grant is a massive offensive upgrade over Isaac Okoro. The Cavs’ starting frontcourt hit a total of 85 3-pointers last season; swap out Okoro and Allen for Grant and Lopez, and that number would skyrocket to 302.
It’s not suddenly some panacea of team-building to make the Cavs the unquestioned title favorites next season. Grant is more of a natural power forward now, and while he can absolutely play the 3, he isn’t the best option to defend opposing guards; the Cavs would need to address that in another way this offseason. He is also 29 years old, while Lopez is 35; the Cavaliers would be getting older with these moves.
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Even so, this would be not just a good move for Cleveland, but a great one. It would transform their offense and eliminate their most glaring weaknesses from this past year’s playoff debacle. If the Cavs could find a way to pull it off, they would instantly go from pseudo-contenders to a team with a legitimate shot at winning a title.