A painfully quiet offseason continues to churn for the Cleveland Cavaliers as the franchise explores any route to make meaningful growth.
Dean Wade and Keon Ellis both exited Cleveland to open free agency, and a lengthy LeBron James sweepstakes left the Cavaliers left with nothing more than halfway through the offseason. As the NBA season schedule rolls out, the Cavs are still looking for their first impactful improvement of the summer. Following a run to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cavaliers have only gotten worse in the offseason.
The addition of Mario Hezonja gives the Cavs a sizable forward who can extend the team's shooting, but Cleveland's loss of Wade and Ellis still leaves room for growth on the wing. While trade talks stall for Peyton Watson and Jonathan Kuminga, the Cavaliers could look to improve their chances for one of their forward trade targets with a cost-saving move on the margins.
To add one of Kuminga or Watson, the Cavaliers would almost certainly need to dump salary to open enough cap space to add the player and re-sign James Harden shortly after. Veteran point guard Dennis Schröder has consistently popped up in those discussions, garnering some interest around the league.
Notably, the Charlotte Hornets were named as an interested suitor for him; however, their stacked roster will force the Hornets to waive two players ahead of any deal being finalized. If the Cavs can entice Charlotte to make those roster moves with an attractive offer, Cleveland could finally break open their offseason plans with comfortable enough cap space to chase Kuminga and Watson more aggressively.
Building the trade
The Cavs can navigate this summer avoiding the first apron of the luxury tax with savvy moves. Harden has been waiting on the sidelines for the Cavaliers to make a move, willingly taking a first-year pay cut on his next contract to offer that mobility. Shedding part of Schröder's $14.8 million contract could be the difference maker between entering next season with a fully-loaded depth chart and a shallow rotation once again in desperate need for a solution.
Charlotte's newly-acquired Royce O'Neale could be Cleveland's ideal low-cost addition. After years of being a rumored trade candidate, O'Neale still provides elite three-point shooting and physical defense. After being traded to Charlotte by the Phoenix Suns, the Hornets could reroute O'Neale to the Cavs in a quick deal.
In this deal, the Cavaliers give Charlotte a veteran point guard to replace LaMelo Ball after his departure this summer. For taking back $3.9 million in extra salary, Cleveland sends the Hornets a 2030 First-Round Pick Swap. As the Hornets build for the future, betting on the Cavs taking a step back within the next half decade is a worthwhile risk when the cost is a 33-year-old who has yet to play a minute for your team.
Last season, O'Neale posted 9.8 points per game for the Suns, shooting 40.8 percent on 6.7 three-point attempts per game. His volume shooting and stocky 6-foot-6 frame make him a solid addition to the Cavaliers' rotation. Slotting him alongside Jaylon Tyson and Max Strus gives the Cavs' wing rotation a more physical 3-and-D option. With Hezonja standing at 6-foot-8, the Cavaliers could run lineups with Tyson and O'Neale on the wing, Hezonja at the four and any combination of the Cavaliers' star guards and bigs next to them.
Cleveland has been linked to O'Neale numerous times, including potential deals surrounding former Cavalier wing Isaac Okoro for O'Neale back when O'Neale played for the Brooklyn Nets. The long-standing interest not only values O'Neale skill set, but also his relationship with Donovan Mitchell. Having played together in Mitchell's Utah Jazz days, the two have maintained a close friendship. Adding O'Neale brings instant chemistry entering training camp, helping ease him into his new scenery.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are allowing a golden opportunity with Harden's patient re-signing process slip through their fingers with every passing day of inactivity. While O'Neale is not the marquee deal of Watson or Kuminga, adding him in a cost-cutting measure opens more flexibility to make a trade work or sign another free agent.
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