Return or Burn: How should the Cavaliers handle each free agent?

Free Agent No. 2: Danny Green

The Cleveland Cavaliers signed Danny Green to be valuable, proven wing depth for their playoff run. That didn’t happen, but the why is vital for determining whether Green should return next season. He played in just eight games before the playoffs and four in the postseason, shooting well but showing obvious rust and a lack of lateral mobility.

Was Green’s performance shaky because he was still recovering from an ACL tear? That’s very possible, especially since he hadn’t even reached the one-year anniversary of the injury by the time the Cavs were eliminated. An offseason to fully heal and regain his mobility could do wonders.

If the answer is that Green is simply getting old, and he’s never getting that mobility back, then his value to the Cavs goes down. The Green of even two seasons ago would be worth re-signing as both valuable wing depth, a veteran voice in the locker room, and the possibility he becomes the starting small forward. He is a 40 percent career 3-point shooter and solid defender if he can regain that level of play.

The downside is that Green is completely washed and the Cavs waste a roster spot and space under the tax apron on Green. If he wants a significant raise on the two million he signed for on the buyout market, the Cavs probably have to wave goodbye. If he’ll come back for a few million, then it’s worth the chance that he can be the player he was, even if just for a year or two.

Verdict: Return