The NBA offseason was fairly quiet, especially for fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers; however, a surprise trade from the Sacramento Kings could have opened an opportunity for the Cavs to snag a hidden gem before opening night.
Throughout the summer, the Cavs were linked to a long list of potential 3-and-D wings, namely All-star Brandon Ingram and Brooklyn Nets duo Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith. Cleveland's forward rotation has struggled to find solid ground with an undersized lineup and an injury-prone Dean Wade. Eventually, the Cavaliers failed to find the right sign-and-trade deal with Isaac Okoro and retained the young wing. While this has given the Cavs continuity, it has left a lingering question mark over their depth and bench quality.
Currently, the Cleveland bench is not bad, but it is far from reliable. The only addition was Jaylon Tyson in the first round of the draft. Otherwise, the Cavs could not find any improvements over the offseason, leaving the wing and frontcourt rotations lackluster at best. The Cavaliers' patient approach will help them maintain stability with a full coaching staff turnover. Yet, the second unit's limitations have already hampered the Cavs' postseason success over the past two years as the bench has underperformed in each of Cleveland's three playoff series.
At this point, the Cavaliers will not find a guaranteed win on the free agent or trade markets. With few trade assets available and no financial flexibility, Cleveland is looking for an overlooked diamond in the rough. Thankfully, the latest NBA transaction may have given the Cavs that opportunity.
How the Cavaliers can sign an ideal young wing
In what will likely be a move to set the stage for a larger transaction, the Sacramento Kings traded Jalen McDaniels to the San Antonio Spurs. And the Spurs are reportedly waiving McDaniels, making him a free agent.
McDaniels, a 26-year-old forward joined the NBA after two seasons with San Diego State. In the NBA, McDaniels played for the Charlotte Hornets for three years before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. With Charlotte, McDaniels struggled to find his footing but showed progress as a potential floor spacing wing. With Philadelphia, he brought his three-point shooting to 40 percent and averaged 6.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and almost one steal in 17.5 minutes per game.
He then played for the Toronto Raptors before joining the Kings - a team he never actually played for. Now, after another trade, McDaniels will be a free agent once more as he searches for his NBA home. With his up-and-down career thus far, it is no surprise that McDaniels is far from a perfect player. What makes him perfect for the Cavs, however, is not his skill but this situation.
For all his flaws, McDaniels has shown potential as a legitimate player in the Association. After five seasons and constant turnover, the Cavaliers could offer McDaniels one final shot to establish his spot in the league on a minimum contract. Until he left the Sixers, McDaniels showed steady progression as a two-way threat. His size gives him an advantage when rebounding a missed shot, and his improved three-point shooting could be a coveted asset to this Cleveland squad.
McDaniels would not be an instant starter, and he would likely rarely be a game changer from day one for the Cleveland Cavaliers. But the Cavs are no strangers to finding unrecognized talent. McDaniels could be a valuable asset to the aspiring contender if they can recreate the magic that Wade and Craig Porter, Jr. have presented over the past few seasons.