4 things Cavaliers must immediately do the minute free agency begins

NBA Free Agency has already started. The idea that any team in the league is waiting until Friday to talk to free agents, on their own teams or others, is pure lunacy. Every free agent from Raul Neto to Khris Middleton is having conversations with teams to feel out their place in the market.

That means the Cavs have to be ready to move as soon as the bell rings. Teams can officially speak to free agents this Friday at 6:00 PM ET. Koby Altman needs things lined up to move quickly and take the steps to build up this team now and in the future.

What should his top priorities be? Here are four things that the Cavaliers need to do the minute that free agency begins.

Move No. 1: Pick up Evan Mobley’s fourth-year option

This isn’t an earth-shattering move, and it technically isn’t very urgent, either. The moment that free agency begins the Cavaliers are eligible to pick up the fourth-year team option on Evan Mobley‘s rookie contract. While it technically won’t happen until the end of the “moratorium” on July 6th, and they have until much later in the offseason to do it, announcing it right away communicates the right thing to their young star.

Evan Mobley has been a defensive phenom for the Cavaliers and is a lock to have his fourth-year option picked up. The Cavs hope to be announcing a max contract extension this time next year to ensure Mobley is around for a very long time. He’s the centerpiece of their future, and making him the first thing they announce on Friday just makes sense.