The Cleveland Cavaliers don’t yet have the weight of the world on their shoulders. They are still relatively early in this core’s life cycle, with Darius Garland just entering his fifth season and Evan Mobley his third. In contrast to older teams or those with 2024 free-agent stars, the Cavs have at least a modicum of breathing spacing.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t members of the Cavaliers organization with something to prove this season. Time moves fast in the NBA, and the Cavs will make moves at the Trade Deadline and next summer that could see it trade key players or make other significant moves in pursuit of a title.
With that in mind, who are the five Cavaliers with the most to prove this season?
Most to Prove No. 5: Max Strus
Max Strus may have just signed a lucrative new contract to join the Cavaliers this summer, but that doesn’t mean his future is secure. Since the moment the ink was dry on the deal many have decried the four-year, $62.3 million deal as an overpay. It’s easy to fall behind the 8-ball on a deal, and once you’re labeled an overpay there is a stigma attached.
More specifically in the context of the Cavaliers, Strus has to prove that he is the right answer to start at small forward. He needs to show his playoff intensity on defense can translate to the regular season, that his streaky shooting can normalize at above-average, and that he wasn’t simply a beneficiary of playing for the Miami Heat.
If by the end of the season, it’s Dean Wade or Caris LeVert starting at the 3 with Strus playing limited minutes off the bench, the Cavs will absolutely look at trade options using his salary. Strus has a shot to play well, establish himself as a part of this core, add more playoff moments to his ledger and earn even more money on the next deal. He also has a shot to spiral into the same “overpaid Heat shooter” basket as Duncan Robinson.
Most to Prove No. 4: Isaac Okoro
Isaac Okoro is eligible to sign a rookie contract extension right now but there is essentially no chatter about a deal being discussed. That’s because there’s no way that Okoro will sign a deal at the low number the Cavs would be willing to offer. They hold all of the cards right now, and it will be up to Ice to prove himself this year.
He is one of the league’s best backcourt defenders, but defense alone doesn’t earn you a place in playoff rotations in 2023. He needs to improve as a shooter enough to be defended or he will quickly find himself off of this team and soon out of the league. If he can continue to increase his accuracy then he has a chance at earning a multi-year deal next summer.
Most to Prove No. 3: Dean Wade
Two seasons ago Dean Wade was the Cavaliers’ secret weapon, the player who made lineups with the starters sing. That earned him a three-year contract extension, a great accomplishment for the undrafted forward. Unfortunately, he followed that up with an injury-riddled season that saw his shooting percentages tank, likely connected to a shoulder injury that never fully healed.
If Wade comes back and his shot is back, his size, defense and savvy make him an ideal fit not only for the rotation but likely as the fifth starter as well. A Wade playing at the height of his powers opens up plenty of lineup combinations.
If Wade’s shot isn’t back, however, he could be a throw-in candidate in a trade for a replacement wing, and ultimately he could fail to secure another contract after this one. He is most valuable to the Cavs, and if he leaves Cleveland he may not get another chance in the league.
Most to Prove No. 2: Jarrett Allen
Jarrett Allen has been a phenomenal addition for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They snuck into the James Harden deal to add him despite a glut of centers already on the roster, then paid him on a five-year deal that has proven to be a massive underpay. He’s been the anchor of a top-tier defense in each of the past two seasons.
The problem is not with Allen, but with the modern NBA. It’s possible, but difficult, to field a high-level offense with two non-shooters on the court. With young defensive phenom Evan Mobley playing alongside Allen the Cavaliers have to build lineups with shooting at the other three spots to have a chance.
To their credit they have largely done that; their offensive rating of 116.1 last season was ninth in the league. Yet they don’t have a lot of flexibility in building lineups; they essentially have to play shooters at the other three positions to survive. Come the playoffs, as defenses get even tighter, the problems only increase.
It’s possible that this pairing can still work, that the defensive upside is so great that having Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell in the backcourt provides the proper balance. It’s also possible that trading Allen for a forward unlocks a higher offensive ceiling without costing them as much on defense. Allen has to play at an elite level all season and in the playoffs to prove his value to the Cavs.
Most to Prove No. 1: J.B. Bickerstaff
J.B. Bickerstaff has been very successful as the head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers. After his first full season as coach netted only 22 wins, the Cavs doubled their win total the next season and broke the 50-win barrier last year, fielding the league’s No. 1 defense and boasting the second-best net rating in the entire NBA.
On the other hand, Bickerstaff and the Cavs lost in a demoralizing five games in the playoffs as the favored team. The Cavaliers may have been getting their first playoff experience as a group, but they were still punked by the New York Knicks. Bickerstaff tried mashing buttons and none of them worked.
This season the same core is back, but this time they’ve added three new shooters to the mix. Bickerstaff has more optionality with his lineups and more offensive weaponry. It’s up to him to show he can introduce creative offensive sets to balance his proven defensive guidance and lineup wizardry. Ultimately, he has to prove he can make the right adjustments in a playoff series to elevate his team.
If he fails to do so, Bickerstaff will likely be replaced next summer. The Cavaliers will hope to follow the model of many teams before them, firing the coach who “got them there” and hiring the guy to get them the rest of the way. Bickerstaff needs to prove he is both.