2 teams that should go after former Cavs forward Lamar Stevens

For the Cleveland Cavaliers, forward Lamar Stevens was one of the most exciting players to watch. Sure, he was never a go-to scorer, as well as never being a consistent jump shooter. Even so, his energy and hustle on the court was contagious, and made the Cavs a fun team to watch. He was the original “Junkyard Dog,” (subscription required) an award given to a player on the Cavs who had the best game, or showed the most heart on the team, and will only be given out during a victory for the Cavaliers.

Lamar Stevens was an undrafted player out of Penn State, and earned himself a two-way contract for the 2020-21 season. After the Cavs’ season was over, he signed a multi-year contract, and was going to be a player for the Cavaliers full-time. He played in Cleveland for three seasons, and was one of Cleveland’s most important bench pieces.

Stevens’ tenure as a Cavalier ended in July, as he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs with another Cavalier in Cedi Osman, as well as sending former Miami Heat player Max Strus to Cleveland. Cleveland sent second-round picks to San Antonio and Miami as well. Cedi Osman was another one of Cleveland’s key bench pieces for many seasons, but now will continue his NBA career playing for Gregg Popovich and the Spurs.

Things didn’t get much better for Stevens. Getting traded from one of the Eastern Conference’s best teams to a rebuilding San Antonio Spurs team hurts, but then Stevens got waived by San Antonio only a couple weeks later after getting traded.

As of right now, Lamar Stevens is not on an NBA roster, and is sitting in free agency. Chances are, if he does get a contract, it will only be for the minimum. He’s only 26 years old, and could be a solid bench piece for any given team. Even if he does not play, the energy he brings to the locker room is super valuable, as every team can use a locker room presence like Stevens. Not every NBA team has their roster completely filled out.

Lamar Stevens could be a great player to give a roster spot to, just to see what he can prove in the preseason. If he flops, the team could just waive him, and it would not even be too expensive, either. If he plays really well, the team could keep him for that season, and maybe for multiple seasons, depending on how he plays.

What teams could take a look at Stevens? Here are just a couple teams that could want Lamar Stevens on their roster.

The first is an East contender.