At the end of their season, the Cleveland Cavaliers looked poised to be one franchise with the most drastic changes coming this summer. Now, it appears that a new head coach will be the largest move made with the core four likely staying put.
Without any major roster changes, Cleveland's starting five will likely be the same entering next season. Under Kenny Atkinson's system, the Cavaliers can see what the best offensive version of their team can do. Building around their core with their current assets (or lack thereof regarding draft picks), Cleveland's routes to establishing a contending roster are slim but not empty. Depending on the Cavs' decision with Isaac Okoro's restricted free agency and minor trades, the team could have access to the full $12.9 million non-taxpayer Mid-Level Exception. Otherwise, the Cavs may be capped at roughly $5 million to offer free agents in a worst-case scenario.
Opening up more cap space is not impossible. Okoro will be the first domino to fall. If Cleveland moves on from Okoro in a cheap sign-and-trade, then they will have much more at their disposal.
In the case that the Cavaliers open up the full MLE, they are still not in the market to land the premier free agents in this class. Even players who may take a paycut down to the MLE this summer will likely not entertain the Cavaliers since they would not receive a starting role. This leaves the Cavs exploring the underrated market, signing hidden gems and taking a flyer on veterans other teams have ignored.
These three players should be on the Cavaliers' radar as available additions for the MLE.
Saddiq Bey, SF
After his fourth season in the NBA, the Atlanta Hawks did not extend a qualifying offer to 6-foot-7 wing Saddiq Bey. Throughout last season, Bey played 63 games, starting 51 with the Hawks. He averaged 13.7 points and 6.5 rebounds, but his efficiency took a harsh dip. Bey has never been an impressive scoring talent, but he had reliably connected from deep. This season, though, he fell to a disappointing 31.6 percent on 5.7 attempts per game. He also ranked among the league's least efficient corner three-point shooters at just 29.9 percent.
Years prior, though, Bey's corner shot was much more trustworthy, reaching 42.4 percent in the 2022-23 regular season. His underwhelming production likely contributed to Atlanta's decision to let him walk for nothing. The Hawks are restructuring their roster and salary sheet, but Bey is still a reasonable option for a franchise looking to bolster their wing bench depth.
Following a down season, Bey enters the summer as a potential under-the-radar target for the Cavaliers if they do not gain access to the full MLE. Adding Bey to their forward rotation gives Cleveland a third option with better size than Okoro or Max Strus with a decent resume.
Following Bey, the Cavs can target a veteran wing after a bounce-back season.