DeAndre Liggins Signed to Training Camp

As summer winds down and fall approaches, the Cleveland Cavaliers will likely bring in several players on training camp deals. As these signings happen, Cavs: The Blog will take some time to profile each player and what they could bring to the team. Today’s profile focuses on swingman DeAndre Liggins.

Earlier today, RealGM broke the news that the Cavaliers have signed guard/forward DeAndre Liggins to a training camp deal with a chance to make the team. Liggins is a name that may sound familiar to many Cavalier fans. Besides playing for the Cavaliers in this past Las Vegas Summer League, Liggins played three years of college basketball at the University of Kentucky before being selected by the Orlando Magic with the 53 pick of the 2011 NBA Draft. Since then, Liggins has bounced around basketball, spending time with the Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Miami Heat, in addition to playing overseas and spending extensive time in the NBA Developmental League. At 28 years old, Liggins hardly qualifies as a young prospect at this point, so what could he offer the Cleveland Cavaliers?

Liggins’s greatest attribute as a player is undoubtedly his defense. At 6’6″ with a wingspan of over 6’11” and good athleticism, Liggins is capable of defending both guard positions as well as many small forwards. Last season with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the D-League, Liggins wracked up two steals and 6.3 rebounds per game and had the league’s best individual defensive rating at 96.0 on his way to winning the NBA D-League Defensive Player of the Year award for the second time in three seasons (he played overseas during the 2014-2015 season).

While not a primary scorer at any level, Liggins is not without his skills on the offensive end. After struggling with his shooting both in college and the beginning of his career, Liggins has improved at both the free throw line (consecutive seasons above 70%) and from three, where he shot an impressive 43.4% on 3.9 attempts per game last season. He’s no J.R. Smith, but Liggins has shot at least 36% from deep over three of the last four seasons, and is good enough to space the floor and keep defenses honest.

Liggins is also an underrated ball handler, capable of playing some point guard. He delivered a whopping seven assists per game last season, good for fourth overall in the D-League. Liggins uses his handle and athleticism to get into the paint off the dribble, and then will dish to shooters on the perimeter as well as players cutting to the rim. Liggins’s assist percentage of 25.8% ranked 18th in the D-League among players who played in at least 20 games and was one of the highest among non-point guards. This passing ability is likely one of the things that intrigue the Cavaliers as they look for ball handlers to replace the departed Matthew Dellavedova. Liggins has also shown that his skills fit on a winning team, as he was named a D-League All Star and earned a spot on the All-NBA D-League Second Team (in addition to the previously mentioned Defensive Player of the Year honors) while the Skyforce won the 2016 D-League Championship.

So why—in a league constantly searching for 3-and-D role players—hasn’t Liggins been able to find a place in the NBA? One issue may be his lack of scoring, but while his upside is limited, Liggins undoubtedly has enough NBA skill to help a team. The larger concern is likely his turnovers. Liggins has been turnover prone throughout his career, including a career-high 4.4 per game last season. Despite his solid assist totals, Liggins has never had even a 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio for his career, limiting his overall effectiveness as a ball handler. In many ways, Liggins is similar in terms of strengths and weaknesses to Iman Shumpert, a player who caused great frustration among Cavalier fans last season.

Another issue that may be scaring away NBA front offices is his personal history. Liggins was arrested in September of 2013 on domestic abuse charges and was released by the Thunder shortly thereafter. The felony charge was eventually changed to a misdemeanor. This is an issue that the major sports leagues (particularly the NFL) are being forced to confront.  Exactly how culpable Liggins was for the incident in a court of law doesn’t necessarily dictate the perception.  Since this incident, Liggins has played in just one in NBA game, in 2014 with the Miami Heat.  NBA franchises may be staying away because they want no part of his past, because they are worried it could happen again, or perhaps because he’s a turnover machine (Sasha Pavlovic anyone?). Or some combination thereof.

Regardless of what happens, the Cleveland Cavaliers are intrigued by DeAndre Liggins enough to give him a chance to make it back to the NBA. What he is able to do with that chance is another matter entirely.