Ranking the current Cavaliers who could start at small forward

Option No. 2: Danny Green

When the Cleveland Cavaliers signed Danny Green to a rest-of-year contract this past spring, they certainly expected more than he ultimately provided. He was slow to integrate with the team, slowed in part by an illness that knocked him out for a week, and when J.B. Bickerstaff was finally ready to play him in the playoffs it was too little, too late.

Yet the reality is that even in the playoffs, Green was less than a year removed from tearing his ACL in the 2022 playoffs. The fact that he was able to return when he did was a testament to his hard work and body’s response to rehab, but he should be better next season than he was this year.

It, therefore, makes sense for the Cavs to try and re-sign Green, giving him a slight bump using Non-Bird Rights on the $2 million deal he signed this spring. At worst, he will be a good veteran mentor to the roster, but at best he could be the answer at small forward.

Green is an elite shooter, and there’s nothing about his shot that shouldn’t age with him. If he gets his legs back as he is even further removed from his injury, he could regain enough lateral movement to regain his defensive prowess. That version of Green, if it returns, is worthy of starting for the Cavs.