Following a season where the Cleveland Cavaliers saw a seven-win improvement and their first playoff berth without Lebron James since 1998, strides were made towards Cleveland being in the title conversation again. Unfortunately, the lack of shooting, rebounding, and experience in the First Round versus the New York Knicks caused their season to end in just five games.
In the series, Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell faced double teams and horrible spacing due to the lack of consistent shooting. Allowing the other team’s rim protector to roam the paint made it virtually impossible to get a good look inside, and relying on two guys to consistently hit contested jump shots is not a winning strategy. The Cavs went through waves in the series where the defense looked impenetrable, but the inability to knock down shots after stops made it all worthless.
The Cavaliers did not get enough shooting from their role players
Although Okoro made strides in efficiency shooting the three, his lack of volume did not draw the gravity needed to make life easier on the Cavs’ stars. When J.B. Bickerstaff opted for the better shooing Cedi Osman, the Knicks forced Osman to switch to Jalen Brunson, and that didn’t go well even once.
This offseason, improvements in shooting, perimeter defense, and rebounding are imperative to the Cavs making a deeper run next year. With a good amount of money tied up in the young core, free agency might not be the best route to take. Here are four trade targets ranked from most realistic to most unlikely to happen that can help meet the Cavs’ needs.
Royce O’Neale, Brooklyn Nets
The most realistic trade target on this list, Royce O’Neale is a 6’6″ veteran two-way wing who shoots the three well. For his career, he shoots 38.4 percent from three and takes about four a game as a starter. O’Neale is a plus perimeter defender who has experience guarding the other team’s best player, fitting the bill of the “three-and-D” prototype perfectly. In addition, O’Neale and Donovan Mitchell are good friends from their time in Utah together.
With 29 career playoff starts, O’Neale brings some more experience to a team looking to make another push. After last year’s deadline, the Nets found themselves rich in wing depth, and rumors of O’Neale to the Cavs were swirling then.
Come playoff time, O’Neale stayed in the rotation with at least 25 minutes a game but did not make a start in any of the five games, showing the Nets might be willing to part with him. Along with turning 30 in June, the additions of Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Cameron Johnson, and the potential Ben Simmons return likely leave O’Neale as the odd man out and could be a casualty as the Nets look to add more playmaking guard depth in exchange for their abundance of wings.
Saddiq Bey, Detroit Pistons. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
Saddiq Bey, Atlanta Hawks
During the last year’s trade deadline, Atlanta acquired Saddiq Bey from Detroit, and he went on to average 11.6 points per game (PPG) on .470/.400/.862 splits in 25 games with the Hawks. Bey is a career 36 percent three-point shooter on 6.5 per game, showing he is capable of hitting shots with volume. Listed at 6’7″, Bey has the size to be an impactful perimeter defender as well. His lateral speed isn’t amazing but his size will allow him to defend bigger wings who try to post him up.
With the depth of the Hawks on the wing with veterans Bogdon Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter, and recent first-round picks AJ Griffin and Jalen Johnson, Bey could become available at a pretty reasonable price. Bey has just one year left on his contract and the Cavs could probably pry him away if Atlanta doesn’t look to extend him.
However, I think he is a little less realistic than O’Neale because he’s just 24 and the Hawks just acquired him. After finishing in the play-in last year, Atlanta could opt in favor of all their younger pieces instead of veterans. I don’t know if the Cavs have enough to get Bey without giving up too many rotational pieces, but he’d be a great addition to this team.
Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers
Although O’Neale and Bey are much more likely candidates and easier solutions to the Cavs’ issues, all options have to be explored after their playoff performance. Having Mobley, Allen, and Okoro on the court regularly kills all spacing and makes life insanely difficult for Garland and Mitchell to penetrate and create good looks. If the Cavs were to explore trading Jarrett Allen and didn’t want to move Mobley to the five, Myles Turner is a dream fit.
Turner is a career 35 percent three-point shooter and averaged four attempts per game over the last four years. Turner is also one of the league’s best shot blockers, averaging over two a game for his career and a career-high average of 3.4 per game.
The last few postseasons have shown that the best defenses are when the team’s best rim protector can be anchored on the opponent’s worst shooter and can roam the paint like a free safety. Allowing Turner to fill this role while Mobley can work the perimeter and switch to contest shots with his length makes them a defensive nightmare.
A trade for Turner keeps the Cavs as one of the league’s scariest defenses while adding shooting, but would cost a lot. Also, the Pacers have had plenty of opportunities to trade Turner in the past and have yet to pull the trigger. Overall, Turner to the Cavs is very unlikely but could be a perfect fit if the Cavs look to make a splash.
OG Anunoby, Toronto Raptors
On the scale of likelihood, OG Anunoby as a trade target of the Cavs is almost as unlikely as you can get. While Anunoby is definitely going to be named in trade rumors all summer long, the Raptors reportedly want a young contributor and two first-round picks as a starting point.
Purely from a basketball fit, it’s hard to find someone who fits better as the starting 3 for this team than Anunoby. He has scored at least 15 points a game in the last three seasons and is a career 37.5 percent shooter from three. His three-point volume continues to increase and he has shot as many as 6.6 per game in a year.
At 6’7″, Anunoby is one of the game’s premier perimeter defenders and was All-Defense Second Team this past year. In order to get the Raptors to even listen, the offer would likely involve Allen, Okoro, and our last two first-rounders this decade, making it almost impossible. However, if there is a way to get Anunoby to Cleveland without giving up Garland, Mitchell, or Mobley, the Cavs could be back to the Finals sooner than we think.
Overall, the Cavs will have to make some changes to the rotation if they hope to make a deeper run next year. Modern-day NBA lineups cannot be comprised of three guys who cannot shoot well from three, despite being able to make it work during the regular season. Adding shooting and lots of it will be the number one item on Altman’s to-do list this offseason.