4 ways the Cavaliers can solve their toughest offseason problem

Solution No. 2: Go bargain-hunting for a few low-cost wings

If there aren’t any 3-and-D wings available in the price range of the Full MLE, perhaps the Cavaliers decide to break it up and sign two players, each for part of the exception. That would improve the overall rotation depth and give the Cavs two shots at “hitting” on a free agent who turns out to fit perfectly.

Torrey Craig had a solid season with the Phoenix Suns but could be pushed out for financial reasons; he earned $5 million this season and could be open to a multi-year contract that gives him a bump on that number. The same goes for his Phoenix teammate T.J. Warren, who has some offensive upside and is further removed from his health issues. Ish Wainwright, Yuta Watanabe, Will Barton, Anthony Lamb or Danuel House could all fit this strategy, to varying degrees.

The Cavaliers could also go bargain hunting on the trade market, looking to somehow package Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens, Isaac Okoro or even Ricky Rubio to bring back a two-way wing of some sort. The best versions of that player will be out of their price range, but perhaps someone like a Reggie Bullock or Royce O’Neale could be in play.

The problem with this approach is it doesn’t guarantee that the Cavs will find even one two-way starter they can trust at the position. Committing the money they do have to players who may or may not be able to play in the playoffs is a major risk. The Cavs have a host of options at the 3 right now; the problem is that none were able to survive there in the playoffs.

The Cavs may not have another choice this summer, but this is an attempt to solve the problem that may not provide that solution, but they might need to play an entire season to figure that out.