The Cleveland Cavaliers know the mission now: sign a center to provide important depth heading into the stretch run.
There really are not many other needs on the roster, if any. The Trade Deadline day move to add De'Andre Hunter has been largely applauded as a masterstroke by Koby Altman and the front office, addressing the Cavaliers' need at small forward while also dropping them out of the luxury tax. We graded that deal in detail here.
In trading two players for Hunter, the Cavs now sit at 13 players on the roster. They have two weeks to sign a 14th, and at some point before the playoffs they will likely add a 15th. Their top target for that 14th slot should probably be a third-string center.
They could certainly go in a different direction; there have been rumors linking them to former No. 1 pick and All-NBA point guard Ben Simmons, and he is indeed in talks to hit the buyout market, but the clear need is at backup center. If Jarrett Allen or Evan Mobley miss time, Cleveland needs an option other than the past-his-prime Tristan Thompson.
Who could the Cavaliers pursue on the buyout market? Let's look at three centers likely to hit the market in the coming days and evaluate who would be the best fit on the team. We begin with something of a draft bust who has been dumped at the Trade Deadline yet again.
No. 3: Marvin Bagley III
At one time, the Sacramento Kings decided that drafting Luka Doncic would be a poor decision because they already had De'Aaron Fox; fast forward seven years and both Doncic and Fox were traded and are not on the Sacramento Kings. Neither is Marvin Bagley III, the big man the Kings drafted over Doncic.
He has been dumped multiple times over his career, and this year was sent to the Memphis Grizzlies as matching salary in the Marcus Smart deal. It's possible the Grizzlies keep him around, but they have plenty of big man depth between Jaren Jackson Jr., Zach Edey, Brandon Clarke, Santi Aldama and Jay Huff. That likely will mean a buyout.
Bagley is a really good rebounder and still has some offensive juice. He also has been a poor rim protector over the years and doesn't space the court, so his offensive touch can only earn him so much. On a tanking Washington Wizards team he appeared in fewer than half the games. He is not the worst flier to take, but he won't be a difference-maker.
No. 2: Alex Len
The Sacramento Kings shuffled their backup frontcourt at the Trade Deadline, adding Jonas Valanciunas and Jake LaRavia to shore up what had been a weakness. That meant sending backup center Alex Len to the Washington Wizards. They are thin up front, so they may keep Len, but they likely will prefer to give that roster spot to a G League center and see if they can uncover a diamond in the rough.
Len is a solid seven feet tall with the strength of a concrete tower. He has been around forever, now 31 years old and in his 12th season. He doesn't have untapped potential nor much offensive skill. Yet he is a reliable paint protector, with positive defensive metrics this season despite playing on the up-and-down Kings.
If the Cavaliers want a solid, dependable third-string center, Len will set screens and rebound and defend the paint. That may be all they need as their insurance policy.
No. 1: Daniel Theis
The New Orleans Pelicans went into this season with Daniel Theis as their starting center, and now just a few months later he was salary-dumped to get the Pelicans out of the luxury tax. The Oklahoma City Thunder didn't blink twice before waiving him themselves, and he is now set to hit the buyout market.
Theis has always been more dangerous playing internationally for Germany, but he is a solid backup center for a team to have around -- and perhaps an excellent fit as a third-string, break-in-case-of-emergency option for the Cavaliers.
With a bruising frame capable of banging inside and fighting for positioning on the glass, Theis would give the Cavs some real heft inside to deploy on traditional centers and help their rebounding, which has been merely average despite starting two bigs. He is also underrated as a playmaker and could handle the ball in the short-roll.
On a team with real floor-spacing his offensive limitations may not be too painful, and defensively he can hold the line inside and isn't completely useless in space. As a third center the Cavaliers could do much worse, and they should give Theis a call if he clears waivers this weekend.