While most major moves in the NBA came through trades, the Cleveland Cavaliers have found valuable rotational players in summer free agency.
Last summer, the Cavs added veteran wing Max Strus in a sign-and-trade with the Miami Heat, brought Cleveland champion Tristan Thompson back and signed Georges Niang to a team-friendly three-year deal. Although none of these players earned an All-Star nod, their efforts throughout the regular season helped the Cavaliers add their second consecutive playoff appearance since adding Donovan Mitchell.
With Cleveland once again entering free agency earlier than they would like, the Cavs will look through the free agency pool to add another key contributor to maximize their potential. The Cavaliers will not add the next era-defining superstar, but this year's pool has numerous high-level veterans who could help elevate Cleveland's basketball club to the next level of competition.
Assets at Cleveland's disposal this summer
The Cavs' available spending money depends on their decision with coming restricted free agent Isaac Okoro, whose $11.8 million cap hold can limit Cleveland's options unless they open up more cap space through a separate trade or other means. If the Cavaliers keep Okoro and do not make a trade, they will only have access to the $5.2 million taxpayer Mid-Level Exception rather than the full $12.9 million non-taxpayer MLE.
If the Cavaliers agree to a sign-and-trade for Okoro after his playoff regression, they may free up more cap space to access the full MLE. If they do not, they will still have roughly $10 million of the MLE to offer, but re-signing Okoro might push them beyond the luxury tax threshold and restrict them to the taxpayer option.
At most, Cleveland can utilize the full MLE, leaving any star players out of their reach in a direct signing. The Cavaliers may add an additional All-Star talent through with the future of their core four players potentially breaking up this summer. Regardless of Cleveland's offseason moves, their greatest need this summer is floor spacing and wing defenders. Taller two-way wings have become the prize possession for any NBA team, making a competitive field for the Cavaliers to navigate.
This summer, the Cavs will have a plethora of players to consider, but many will be out of reach. Who should the Cavaliers hope to sign in a perfect scenario, and who is more reasonable? These are three free agent targets, from an impossible dream, a slight reach and a realistic option.