Last summer, the Cavaliers made their “all-in” trade by landing Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz. After being one of only five teams to reach 50 wins over the course of this now-past regular season, the Cavs flamed out in a short five-game series loss to the New York Knicks.
Looking toward the future, Cleveland needs to address the lack of post depth alongside their need for a true wing player. They need somebody who can pair next to Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen while the other one gets rest.
In a recent report/mail bag, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com listed six potential free agent centers the Cavs will target this summer.
"“The Cavs will look at veteran Mason Plumlee and 23-year-old Naz Reid. But the cost could be prohibitive. Dwight Powell, Thomas Bryant, Drew Eubanks, Bismack Biyombo are other possibilities.”"
It’s clear that the Cavs know they cannot just run this same roster back and expect a different outcome. While the core of Darius Garland, Mitchell, Mobley, and Allen are all almost certainly returning, the rest of the rotation will be up for consideration. There is a near-zero percent chance that Robin Lopez returns as the backup big behind Jarrett Allen. Bringing in a true backup big, hopefully one that can stretch the floor, would raise the Cavs’ ceiling for next year.
The East is wide open, so these six centers might be the answer. From worst to best, here is how these potential future Cavs stack up.
The first is a veteran who was last with the Phoenix Suns.
No. 6: Bismack Biyombo, Phoenix Suns
Drafted seventh overall in the 2011 NBA Draft, Bismack Biyombo looked to have potential to be a steady big man in the Association. Unfortunately, Biyombo has been unable to find a stable spot in any organization, jumping from Charlotte to Toronto, then to Orlando, back to Charlotte, and eventually landing in Phoenix.
Last season, Biyombo averaged 14.3 minutes in 61 games played for the Suns. Defensively, Biyombo is a valuable asset. According to Cleaning The Glass (subscription required), Biyombo blocked 5.1% of all shots he defended and was in the top percentile of shot blockers.
Unfortunately, Biyombo also tends to find himself in foul trouble, averaging more than two fouls per game over his career in only an average of 19.5 minutes. Overall, Biyombo’s defensive rating was 108, two points better than the league average 110.
His real weaknesses begin on the offensive end, at least in terms of fit with the Cavs. Biyombo has a total of three 3PA in his entire NBA career. Further, in his 12 seasons, he has only averaged 5.1 points. As such a non-factor on the offensive end, defenses would ignore him in order to suffocate Cleveland’s undersized backcourt in Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell.