The Cleveland Cavaliers are putting a lot of trust in Thomas Bryant.
They did so last year, signing him to be the backup to Jarrett Allen, and when it mattered most, they did not need him. Unlike in years past, both of their bigs were healthy during the postseason, and head coach Kenny Atkinson never looked past Allen and Evan Mobley to fill the center position.
With Bryant a known commodity who had not been exposed as a fraud, the Cavaliers acted quickly this offseason and re-signed him to a contract to remain the backup. Doing so pushed them out of the running for any other potential backup big. Will they regret such a hasty decision?
Could the Cavaliers have done better?
It is important to note that the Cavaliers are hard-pressed financially to stay under the first apron under which they have hard-capped themselves. They are in such financial straits that they signed former second-round pick Khalifa Diop to their final roster spot, a project big who is unlikely to help them in any way this season.
That puts all the more pressure on the backup center position to be a player they can rely on.
This week the Phoenix Suns learned that starting center Mark Williams will miss most of the season with a torn labrum in his shoulder. They pivoted to signing former Portland Trail Blazers big man Duop Reath to a contract. He was languishing on the free agent vine for the Suns to snag when they needed him.
The New York Knicks also have a need for a third center after losing both Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti in free agency. They brought in reclamation project James Wiseman and steady veteran Drew Eubanks to mere training camp "Exhibit 9" deals.
A perusal of the remaining unsigned free agents sparks a few names at center. Cleveland villain Kelly Olynyk is still available, as is Olynyk's former victim and Cavaliers legend Kevin Love. Xavier Tillman is still waiting for a new NBA home.
Would any of these options have been better than Thomas Bryant?
Bryant played a small role last season, but he was extremely prolific in limited minutes. He averaged 24.3 points and 13.5 rebounds per 36 minutes. He also has added a 3-point shot, getting up 8.6 attempts from deep (per-36) and hitting a respectable 35.9 percent of them.
Given the lack of shooting from some of the other options, and the lack of rebounding from pure stretch bigs like Olynyk, Bryant may offer the best combination of skills to back up Allen. The one player who could make them regret their decision, however, is Duop Reath.
The Australian center saw his minutes continue to decline in Portland behind a plethora of other options, but he proved as a rookie that he brings real two-way pop to the court. He has a more reliable 3-point shot compared to Bryant, and while he isn't the same level of rebounder, he is a better defender.
Could Reath find a home in Phoenix and make the Cavaliers regret their decision? Perhaps. Could another free agent center have a solid year while Bryant struggles? It is very possible.
Will Cleveland ultimately regret committing to Bryant so early in the process? The reality is that they probably made the right decision. They certainly could regret the move, but at this point, they have every reason to think Bryant was the best option on the market.
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