Outside of star trade demands and the surrounding drama, the NBA offseason news cycle has grown quiet. The Cleveland Cavaliers have seemingly made the most of their free-agent options, acquiring numerous 3-point shooters and building out their depth.
Reports circulated that the Cavs showed interest in Charlotte’s P.J. Washington as a sign-and-trade target, but discussions never got serious. Now, it appears that Washington is most likely to return to Charlotte on a qualifying offer in order to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
This could suggest Cleveland’s offseason moves are over, but with only thirteen roster spots filled, they will have to make at least one more addition before their October 25 opening game versus the Brooklyn Nets.
Can the Cavaliers still add to their team?
How will the Cavs improve this late into the offseason? The free agent pool is increasingly empty, and most players left are probably waiting to see where Damian Lillard and James Harden end up before they sign a contract.
Washington is a 6-foot-7-inch forward with some experience as a small ball five. Almost all of Cleveland’s offseason moves prioritized outside shooting, but size is still an issue at the wing spot. Max Strus, while a dangerous shooter and worthwhile defender, stands at 6-foot 5-inches, making him undersized for the small forward position. Isaac Okoro is even shorter at 6-foot 4-inches, leaving the Cavs best to look at players who can resolve this issue in some way.
There are still some options in both free agency and trades that could improve the Cavaliers on opening night. A Washington sign-and-trade would have been costly by the nature of sign-and-trades alone, but the front office might find cheaper options elsewhere that could bring similar productivity.
First, the Cavaliers could look to buy low on a forward left in limbo on a team needing to downsize their roster.
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is a great trade option for Cleveland
While numerous teams struggle to fill their roster, the Oklahoma City Thunder are forced to waive players. After waiving TyTy Washington, Jr., the Thunder still have 19 players on their cap sheet, per Spotrac. Two of those players, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins, are currently free agents, meaning OKC only needs to lose two more players in order to meet the maximum 15 full roster spots allowed.
This gives the Cavaliers an opportunity to trade for one of Oklahoma’s seemingly infinite young players without surrendering any of their own rotational players.
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl finished his second season in the NBA and has shown steady improvement on OKC. In his sophomore year, his minutes dropped from 22.2 per game down to 18.9 per game due to the stacked rotation in Oklahoma City.
Additionally, Robinson-Earl’s injury history has stopped him from being available for the Thunder for more than 49 games in his rookie season and 43 last year. This has undoubtedly led to his diminished role. This might alarm the Cavaliers from trading for him, but a trade package for Robinson-Earl could be surprisingly cheap.
As mentioned, the Thunder are forced to lower the number of players on full contracts. OKC will have to waive more people, losing them for nothing. Cleveland could offer a couple of second-round picks in exchange for Robinson-Earl’s $1.9 million contract to guarantee Oklahoma receives some sort of return for a young prospect.
Given his injury history, it is unlikely “JRE” could command much more than draft compensation.
Over two seasons, Robinson-Earl has shot 34.4 percent from 3-point range and collected just under five rebounds per contest. While his health will remain a question, acquiring the former Villanova forward would build Cleveland’s frontcourt without major sacrifice.
Should JRE’s durability prove too unstable, Cleveland still has Dean Wade, Niang, and Mobley at the power forward position. If he can stay healthy and productive, then he only serves to add another of lethality to the Cavaliers lineup.
In free agency, there is one player that could join the Cavs on a cheap deal and provide another veteran presence in the Land.
JaMychal Green would fit in with the Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers should look at Golden State’s power forward Green. Not Draymond, but JaMychal Green. The 33-year-old veteran made a name for himself in the Bay after providing the Warriors with a dynamic, unrelenting effort all season and Playoffs.
Last season, Green averaged 6.4 points and 3.6 rebounds in 14 minutes per game. While his stats are not breathtaking, he gave the Warriors another consistent option off the bench. In Cleveland, Green would surely become a fan favorite for his willingness to do whatever it takes.
Over his nine seasons, Green has connected on 36.8 percent of his long-range attempts. He is not a volume shooter, only attempting 1.9 3-pointers per game last season, but he is nonetheless another long-range threat that could improve Cleveland’s frontcourt.
In the whirlwind of talent swapping teams this summer, JaMychal Green has been left behind. The journeyman forward could easily slot into Cleveland’s ranks and help a young team learn how to compete against the best teams in the Association.
On a veteran minimum deal, Green is a valuable target to consider for the Cavs. His 6-foot 8-inches helps the Cavaliers against taller opponents, and his physical playstyle inserts a level of grit that was severely absent from Cleveland’s nice guy team last season.
Finally, the Cavaliers should revisit a former trade target from last season.
The Cavs need to bring Royce O’Neale to the Land already
When the Cavaliers fell out of the Playoffs, their poor shooting and lackluster intensity were obvious flaws that caused their crumbling performance.
In response, Cleveland fans searched for the right trade option or free agent. For some time it seemed impossible to hear any name more than that of Brooklyn’s Royce O’Neale.
Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor reported that an O’Neale trade had almost been completed at last season’s trade deadline before the Nets chose to retain the veteran forward. As the offseason began, O’Neale seemed like an inevitable trade. It was only a matter of time.
After the Cavs added Max Strus, O’Neale rumors have gone silent. But, adding Strus only makes O’Neale a more appealing target.
The Cavaliers’ current wing depth is Isaac Okoro, Max Strus, and a mix of Caris LeVert and Dean Wade. Last season, three of those four competed in a season-long campaign to secure the starting 3 spot. In the end, Okoro won due to his defense, but his offense never came around.
Strus is likely to be the starting small forward on opening night, but the backup wing minutes will become the Cavaliers’ newest big weakness. LeVert has played best for Cleveland in a guard role, helping facilitate the offense. Wade is best suited as a power forward rather than a small forward, and Isaac Okoro’s 3-point shooting is not consistent enough to rely on.
Royce O’Neale changes that. A lot.
Getting O’Neale would probably cost the Cavs one of either Okoro or Wade alongside Ricky Rubio’s salary and some second-round draft picks. That would seemingly make Cleveland’s depth chart weaker, then? Honestly, no.
O’Neale shot 38.9 percent from 3-point range last season, grabbed 5.1 rebounds, and got 3.7 assists per game. He has a versatile, well-rounded game. He would instantly improve the Cavaliers, and his 6-foot-6-inch stature answers Cleveland’s need for a taller wing player.
Additionally, Royce O’Neale fits the bill of another key factor in some of Cleveland’s moves this summer – he is a former teammate of Donovan Mitchell. Georges Niang was another member of the Mitchell-led Utah Jazz, and Ty Jerome played with Mitchell in an AAU league as children.
In Utah, O’Neale was one of Mitchell’s most consistent teammates, and they seemed to build a healthy chemistry with one another. Acquiring O’Neale not only drastically improves the Cavaliers on the court, but it is another indicator to Donovan Mitchell that the Cavs can and will build around him. Making Cleveland Mitchell’s best long-term choice is undeniably a top priority. O’Neale would improve their chances.
Should the Cavaliers target O’Neale? Certainly. Is he worth the price tag? Absolutely.
Will Cleveland do it? Only time will tell. It is no secret that the front office sees the value in O’Neale, but they have yet to find the right deal to bring him in. If they can negotiate the right offer with Brooklyn, then he would be an ideal acquisition to end the offseason.