The dream for NBA teams is to build a title contender organically. The Golden State Warriors built a dynasty on the shoulders of three stars they drafted themselves (although signing Kevin Durant shook up the formula). The Denver Nuggets are among the title favorites with a homegrown trio, while the Boston Celtics have four starters from their own draft selections.
That’s what the Cleveland Cavaliers hoped for in building this team. They made five straight lottery selections and had the vision of a nucleus that would ascend together. When the Cavs were trotting out lineups in 2021-22 featuring Darius Garland, Collin Sexton, Isaac Okoro and Evan Mobley it looked like the plan was falling into place.
But Sexton wasn’t the guy and soon tore his meniscus, while the big trade to add Donovan Mitchell changed the complexion of the lineup and sent Sexton out of town. The Cavs tried to hold onto the dream, starting Okoro for most of the season, but now it’s time to acknowledge that dream needs to be changed.
Isaac Okoro is not a part of the future the Cavaliers are building
It’s never easy to give up on a player you drafted, and fans have built a strong connection with Okoro. He certainly works hard and is a beloved teammate. In the end, however, his lack of an offensive game killed the Cavaliers in the playoffs as the New York Knicks absolutely ignored him. For the Cavs to reach their potential, they need to add a better option on the wing.
That makes Okoro expendable, and perhaps even useful in a trade to land someone else. With that in mind, here are three trades involving Isaac Okoro for the Cavs to consider. Which ones should the Cavs pursue, and which ones should they pass on?
Trade No. 1: Okoro to Portland
The Portland Trail Blazers have had a serious flaw in their roster construction for most of Damian Lillard’s career. Their two best players have been small guards, which puts them at a defensive disadvantage. Even with CJ McCollum in New Orleans, the development of Anfernee Simons is both a blessing and a curse.
That’s why they will almost certainly be in the market for perimeter defense this summer, and ideally, a player who can defend opposing guards. That’s Isaac Okoro’s specialty, and he proved over the past two seasons that he is one of the best backcourt defenders in the league. The Blazers, with Lillard and Simons and Jerami Grant all starting, have the spacing that Cleveland didn’t have to make Okoro less damaging.
Okoro doesn’t have a ton of value right now, but here is one deal the Blazers could send over:
The Cavaliers would be getting a 6’5″ forward who is still only 23 years old, a thicker and stronger defender than Okoro who is better deployed against opposing forwards (although either way not the defender than Okoro is). Little’s 3-point percentage ticked up this past season and he could still round into a low-end starter.
Ultimately, this move is more shuffling of the deck chairs than a true improvement, and Cleveland already has a better version of Little in Dean Wade, who makes up for less athleticism with a better shot. This one doesn’t move the needle.
Verdict: Pass
Trade No. 2: Okoro to Detroit
Isaac Okoro is still just 22 years old, which would make him a great fit on a rebuilding team putting together their core of the future. Just because Okoro didn’t end up being a good fit with the Cavs’ roster construction doesn’t mean he’s not worth a team further from contention taking a shot on his development.
The Detroit Pistons are one option as they have amassed a roster flush with young pieces. Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Jalen Duren, James Wiseman, Killian Hayes and Isaiah Stewart are all first-rounders still on their rookie contracts, and that doesn’t even include this year’s No. 5 pick. They could use some defensive juice, and perhaps they would value Okoro enough for the Cavs to pursue a true upgrade.
The Pistons get their defensive stopper and a useable wing, plus a pair of second-round picks, in exchange for Bojan Bogdanovic. After a hyper-efficient season the Pistons likely hope for a first-round pick for the veteran forward, but it may not be coming, and this would be a stacking of assets to approximate one.
For the Cavaliers, they get their 3-point shooter, and one with decent size to start at small forward and shift to the 4 in smaller groups. His defense is declining as he ages, but he isn’t a sieve on that end and will be well-protected by Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. He’s about as good of a player as the Cavaliers could hope to get this summer.
Verdict: Pursue
Trade No. 3: Okoro to Houston
Speaking of young teams, the Houston Rockets are fairly short in the tooth themselves. More importantly for this conversation, they currently have a starting backcourt that is a massive defensive liability. Unless they find that answer in the draft this year, they could look to address their weakness on the trade market.
Isaac Okoro, for all of his offensive issues, is one of the very best perimeter defenders who is likely to be available this summer. The Rockets don’t have many contracts of any size they would be open to trading, but perhaps there is a way to build this trade out:
The Rockets would be getting their guy defensively, although they would have the same playoff issues that Cleveland did this year. This is a team that needs to focus on next season, not the playoffs, and Okoro could help them do that.
As for Cleveland, Tate is an intriguing defensive player and the Cavs would be smart to take fliers on such players. Yet Tate also can’t shoot and would lead to similar, if ultimately different, issues with the offense. This deal doesn’t move the needle for Cleveland.
Verdict: Pass