Grade the Trade: Cavaliers keep core intact, add talented wing in 3-team proposal
Entering this offseason as buyers, the Cleveland Cavaliers will continue chasing opportunities to add more proven win-now pieces to the roster.
In the regular season, the Cavaliers showed growth offensively, adding perimeter shooting with Max Strus and Georges Niang alongside Isaac Okoro's personal development. Unfortunately, the postseason exposed many of Cleveland's flaws that caused their downfall a year earlier. After a seven-game series win against the Orlando Magic, the Cavs fell in five games to the league-leading Boston Celtics.
After the season's end, the first domino to fall was the dismissal of four-year head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. The Cavs are still in the midst of a coaching search, but the franchise still repeatedly appears in trade discussions across the league as onlookers expect Cleveland to look for a remedy for their redundant roster.
The Cavaliers need another wing
Like every NBA team, the Cavaliers will target two-way wings with size this offseason in the draft, trades and free agency.
Despite adding more shooting, the Cavs recorded the worst three-point shooting percentage of any team who advanced to the second round. Okoro's regular season growth abandoned him in the playoffs, Niang's defensive limitations forced him out of the rotation and Darius Garland was hit-or-miss every night. Cleveland's inconsistency and unreliable offensive production across the board led to another early offseason and a need to restructure their forward depth once again.
Considering Cleveland's offensive stagnancy in the playoffs, finding another two-way wing will likely be a top priority in trade negotiations this summer. At the recent trade deadline, the Cavs were linked to numerous two-way wings but never closed a deal. Instead, the Cavaliers patiently stayed quiet at the deadline, waiting to see how their core could succeed alongside the new complementary players.
With Okoro's restricted free agency this summer, the Cavs might explore sign-and-trade offers for their former first-round pick. Additionally, the Cavaliers have one expiring contract in Caris LeVert they must shop to bolster their forward depth.
At the deadline, one name that appeared for the Cavaliers was Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter. As the Hawks approach a crossroads for their future, Hunter is reportedly a trade piece Atlanta will be willing to deal this summer, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. With the first pick in this year's draft, the Hawks are exploring their options to retool their roster, putting both Hunter and center Clint Capela on the trade block.