The sample size is way too large to ignore. The Cleveland Cavaliers desperately need frontcourt depth, or at least players that coach Kenny Atkinson can feel comfortable playing for at least ten minutes in the playoffs.
If this team is going to stick with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, which, admittedly, should be a big "if" at this point, they need someone who can shake things up and give them different looks. That means they need a true stretch big man who can spread the floor with his shooting.
As such, perhaps making a run at Nikola Vucevic makes sense for this team. Money might be a bit of an issue for the Cavs, but he's likely to be available at a mid-level deal after getting a three-year, $60 million deal three years ago.
Nikola Vucevic would be a perfect backup big for the Cleveland Cavaliers
Vucevic is never going to be a rim protector or much of a defensive presence, so he may not have a future with Joe Mazzulla's team. The Cavs, however, can mask his defensive miscues by pairing him with Mobley or Allen, given that he's not a traditional, heavy-footed, back-to-the-basket type big man.
The former Orlando Magic big is a career 35 percent shooter from beyond the arc. He's tailor-made for modern pace-and-space offenses like Kenny Atkinson's and, more importantly, he could give this team some solid minutes, which is more than they can say of their current backup bigs.
Larry Nance Jr. and Thomas Bryant haven't given the Cavs absolutely anything. Nae'Qwan Tomlin brings plenty of energy off the bench, but he's vastly undersized, and Vucevic has always been a strong rebounder, especially on the offensive glass.
Admittedly, the Cavs will have other priorities to address in the offseason, and they might choose to draft and develop a big man rather than pay for one. But if that's not the case, Vucevic should at the very least rank high on their potential target list.
Vucevic will be 36 next season, and everybody knows what he brings to the table at this point in his career. As someone who openly despises losing and has called out his teammates for that, he's going to compete harder than anybody else.
Even though he's going to give up a couple of easy buckets here and there, he's also going to get the team multiple second-chance points, boards, and some much-needed long-range shooting off the bench when Mobley and/or Allen aren't on the floor.
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