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2 Cleveland Cavaliers trades to get Isaac Okoro to a new home

By Quinn Minnich

Isaac Okoro, Cleveland Cavaliers. Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images
Isaac Okoro, Cleveland Cavaliers. Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images /
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Cleveland Cavaliers
Nick Richards, Charlotte Hornets. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images) /

Okoro goes to the Charlotte Hornets, and the Cavs get a quality backup 5

With this trade, the Cavaliers get a quality backup big man. Sure, the newly-acquired Damian Jones is a solid player, but Nick Richards was one of the best backup centers in all of the NBA last season. He averaged 8.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks, all in only 18.7 minutes per game last year.

As for Charlotte, they get Okoro, who still can become a very good player with more time to develop.

They also would open up more center minutes. They already have Mark Williams, who was one of the best rookies last season, and they drafted James Nnaji with the 31st pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

The Hornets could use a better small forward, as Gordon Hayward is getting up there in age, and will be an unrestricted free agent next free agency. Also, the Hornets were one of the worst defensive teams last year, so they could definitely use Okoro’s perimeter defense on the wing.

There is hope that Okoro can become a great three-point shooter. Every season he has upped his three-point percentage, albeit on low volume. Still, if he can continue to improve his shot, he’ll be a tremendous player, and a really valuable asset to any team.