NBA Free agency: Building a perfect offseason for the Cleveland Cavaliers

3. Bring back Isaac Okoro and Tristan Thompson

The Cavs recently extended a qualifying offer to Isaac Okoro, making him a restricted free agent. The sense around the league and the Cavs is that Okoro will likely come back and Cleveland cannot afford to lose him.

Okoro is the Cavs’ best perimeter defender, as he has taken on tough matchups all season. In the playoffs, he did a solid job on Paolo Banchero despite giving up almost five inches and 30 pounds. His on ball defense and pressure are the best aspects of his game.

Okoro also improved as a shooter this season, shooting 39 percent on threes and molding himself into a 3 and D wing. His numbers dipped in the postseason to 26 percent from three, but the Cavs offense as a whole aside from Mitchell and Mobley struggled for most of the playoffs. 

Okoro will likely command a deal in the three-year, 40-million-dollar range so if that is the price it costs to keep him, then the Cavs should do it. His elite defense is hard to replace and his shooting has improved each of the last three seasons. Atkinson’s motion offense could also unlock Okoro as a cutter and slasher, something he has shown flashes of.

As for Thompson, his leadership has been invaluable to the Cavs, as players on the team have had nothing but good things to say about him. He brings a level of toughness that the team needs as well and having him back on a minimum deal would be good for Cleveland’s locker room.