Another offseason with impossible rumors of a LeBron James homecoming circle the Cleveland Cavaliers, but another Akron boy homecoming could be the ideal offseason addition.
Cleveland's frontcourt depth is the largest lingering flaw on the team that led the Eastern Conference last regular season. With a star duo of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, finding a backup big who offers positional versatility is the perfect complementary piece to round out Cleveland's lineups. While the Cavs may only have veteran minimum contracts to offer free agents, their position as a leading eastern contender could attract players willing to take pay cut to win now.
The son of a former Cavaliers legend, Larry Nance, Jr., enters free agency after a season held back by a loaded Atlanta Hawks frontcourt and poor injury luck left Nance sidelined for the majority of the year. With the addition of Kristaps Porzingis in Atlanta, Nance could be the odd man out, looking for a new team to call home. Rather than moving to a new city, bringing the 6-foot-9 big man back to Cleveland could be a perfect reunion this year.
Cleveland is the best landing spot for Nance
After four seasons with the Cavaliers, Nance was dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers in a multi-team deal to bring Lauri Markkanen to Cleveland. The domino effect in motion, Nance's trade for Markkanen eventually gave the Cavs Donovan Mitchell one year later. Since acquiring Mitchell, the Cavaliers have been a premier Eastern Conference squad, eyeing a run at the NBA Finals.
Cleveland could target a long list of centers with at least two open roster spots, but Nance should be a top target if he's available at the Cavs' price tag. While he only played two dozen games last season with the Hawks, the season prior with the New Orleans Pelicans saw Nance providing 5.7 points and 5 rebounds while shooting 41.5 percent from deep in 20 minutes per game. He only attempted roughly one three-pointer per game with the Pels, but in Atlanta's long-range system, he attempted 3.2 per night before a knee injury sidelined his year.
Bringing Nance back to the Cavaliers could elevate the Cavs to seeing those Finals hopes come to reality. While Nance is not a dominant physical presence in the paint, he is a flexible 4/5 player who provides lineup versatility for Cleveland's frontcourt. Adding Nance into the mix allows Mobley or Allen to play at the five spot with another reliable forward next to him instead of the Cavaliers moving De'Andre Hunter out of position and losing his strength on the wing.
in a small ball lineup, Nance is a serviceable center who provides defense, positive rebounding and impressive floor spacing. In his last two seasons, Nance has shot above 40 percent from deep on good volume, proving himself a quality spacing big man for a contending team. With the Cavaliers, all of Nance's best qualities would be amplified by coach Kenny Atkinson's offensive system. Nance can contribute in a five-out set or be a spacing four to give Allen more control on the interior.
As Nance returns to health and joins the free agent pool, the Cavaliers present an ideal opportunity to play for an organization he knows values him and compete in meaningful postseason games. While other teams may offer a higher paycheck than a minimum deal, the Cavs' position in the league means Nance's efforts are contributing towards winning at the highest level. With his skillset, the veteran big man is likely ready to make an impact for a chance to win a ring. The Cavaliers offer that.
This offseason, the Cleveland Cavaliers must prioritize improved frontcourt depth. Adding a player of Nance's archetype who can switch between either position perfectly suits the team's biggest needs. He not only offers another solid big man, but he alleviates the pressure on Cleveland's wing players to cover up for the shallow depth. The Cavs absolutely must make an impassioned plea to bring Nance home.