Larry Nance, Jr. returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers this summer to fill out a shallow frontcourt depth chart, but the Cavaliers could still use more help.
Cleveland has two towering talents in the starting lineup with reigning Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen dominating the paint. Mobley has emerged as the key to the Cavs' future, joining Donovan Mitchell on the All-NBA cast and earning his first All-Star appearance last season. Allen is a steady presence in Cleveland as a recent All-Star and team-first leader.
Still, every year since combining the two, the Cavs' utter lack of true big man depth behind them has been a major Achilles heel. If either player is hurt or needing extra rest, the Cavaliers' options at center dramatically fall off. While Robin Lopez and Tristan Thompson had flashes of good effort, the Cavs clearly needed more. Nance brings experience, versatility and talent the Cavs have needed. Even then, one final piece to the frontcourt rotation would greatly benefit the Cleveland club.
Looking at the remaining pool of free agents, the Cavs' options are quite limited. The best talent has already signed elsewhere, and even the quality players left are out of the Cavaliers' price range with only veteran minimums to offer. Instead of trusting in the free agency leftovers, the Cavaliers could turn their attention to standout talents in the recent EuroBasket games, and one player stands among the rest as the best option to complete the bench unit.
Turkish veteran stands out in EuroBasket
A small locker room bet among the Turkish EuroBasket squad led to a sudden spotlight shining on 27-year-old big man Ercan Osmani. Standing at 6-foot-10 tall, Osmani was challenged by NBA All-Star and teammate Alperen Sengun to hold former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to under 20 points in exchange for a Rolex watch during a recent game.
Osmani followed through. Giannis scored just 12 points, prompting Sengun to promise to buy his teammate the best Rolex available. Osmani's physical intensity and unrelenting energy made him a constant pest for the NBA champion forward. Defensively, Osmani showed a level of versatility few teams witness anywhere, which instantly made him a standout player across the EuroBasket.
Defense was only part of his game, though. Against Greece, Osmani scored 28 points on 11-of-15 from the field and six-of-eight from three-point range. He also collected six rebounds and a pair of steals and assists. Throughout EuroBasket this year, Osmani averaged just 6.5 points and 2.9 rebounds, but his performance against the Greek Freak left such a major impression on the basketball world that Osmani became the main topic of conversation.
Osmani is exactly what the Cavaliers need
For the Cavaliers, Osmani's do-it-all skillset, professional experience and physical frame makes him an ideal late offseason target. Cleveland could offer Osmani an opportunity to transition from competing at the highest level in European basketball to a true contender in the NBA. Osmani's attitude throughout EuroBasket, and especially against Greece, showed a winning mentality that would immediately benefit the Cavaliers.
Osmani may not look like a future NBA All-Star, but his strength, shooting and defense is exactly what the Cavaliers need off the bench. Nance brings a variety of talents and can play either the power forward or center position, but Osmani would likely bring more interior physicality that Nance is known for. Additionally, a single injury to anyof the Cavs' current bigs returns the team to the very same problem from before.
While the Cavs are unlikely to find a perfect, infallible free agent any time soon, Nance and Osmani would create a perfect backup frontcourt for Allen and Mobley. The Cleveland Cavaliers are in position to make the most of a do-or-die season with the many others of the Eastern Conference suffering from year-long injury absences. Finishing the depth chart with a player like Turkey's Osmani could be the final piece needed to dominate the league.