3 young wings the Cavs should consider signing in free agency
Potential Cavs young wing target No. 3: Jaylen Nowell
With the last player on this list, the Cleveland Cavaliers should definitely take a look at Jaylen Nowell this offseason. Taken by the Timberwolves in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft with the 49th pick, Nowell could be a quality role player for the Cavs, even after a bit of a down slide this season.
It’s safe to say that Minnesota had an interesting, rather confusing season this now-past year. Mortgaging a chunk of their future for Rudy Gobert last summer, as well as trading some other players at the deadline, including D’Angelo Russell to the Lakers – it seems like the Timberwolves future is at a bit of an impasse. With that in mind, there are some decisions regarding several players on their roster that will need to be made this offseason. One of those players is Jaylen Nowell.
At 23 years old, the shooting guard put up an average of 10.8 points per game, coupled with 2.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Nowell’s three-point shooting percentage hit a slump this past season, coming in at 28.9% compared to his previous season of 39.4%.
The young wing managed to put up 4.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per-36 minutes in the 2022-23 campaign. While his defensive skills are relatively fair, there is some work needed on that side of the ball. Although, playing alongside the likes of Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Isaac Okoro would help to mask those shortcomings.
Between the regression in his shooting, and a knee injury suffered – Nowell could be a fairly affordable target for the Cavaliers. If Cleveland’s staff could get Nowell back to form and have him playing the way he did in the 2021-2022 season, the Cavs would have a serious spark plug rounding out the bench who can score baskets in a hurry with drives and pull-ups.
All things considered the risk-reward pendulum would likely swing in the Cavaliers’ favor with a Jaylen Nowell signing in free agency.