Cavs Draft Recap (Or, Also a Free Agency Preview?)

The Cavs entered the draft with rumors running rampant about trade scenarios. As the clock continued to tick, it seemed like a potential trade was brewing.  Ultimately, the Cavs used most of their allotted five minutes but submitted their selection as is, selecting Isaac Okoro out of Auburn University.

#Cavs will select Isaac Okoro with the No. 5 pick in 2020 NBA Draft, league sources tell @clevelanddotcom

— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) November 19, 2020

(S/O to Chris for beating the national guys to the punch)

I like the pick.  I think without knowing the trade scenarios and assets involved, it’s hard to get upset or worked up with the scenarios.  My top choice would have still been Onyeka Okongwu, despite the foot injury that happened to leak the day of the draft.  That being said, I’ve consistently said that Okoro may be the best fit of the potential draft selections given his strong defensive skillset.

Elijah Kim called this pick 10 weeks ago!
Check out the CtB profile of Isaac Okoro!#IsaacOkoro https://t.co/0AOeT95EfD pic.twitter.com/OAzOP97JIE

— Cavs:TheBlog (@CavsTheTweets) November 19, 2020

Okoro projects to be a defensive juggernaut, capable of guarding 1-4 in the NBA.  He will likely be tasked to guard the opposing team’s best perimeter player as the Cavs bring his offensive responsibilities up slowly.  The Cavs sorely needed help on the defensive side and Okoro will bring the ability, experience, and desire on the defensive end.

Player comps can be a silly thing but one comp that I believe goes a bit quietly unnoticed is Jaylen Brown.  Bringing up Brown’s collegiate stats, it’s eerily similar how their shooting numbers were. Of course, this is no guarantee that Okoro will develop his shooting to Brown’s level, but given his work ethic,  Brown may be a model example of a path of growth.

With the draft now under the belt, it is now time to focus on Free Agency which starts today.  Though tampering only exists when you’re a small market team (cough cough Bogdan), an exciting flurry of deals may happen with free agents Gordon Hayward and Fred VanVleet.

The Cavs will not be a player for those level of free agents due to not having cap space. Tgat doesn’t mean Cleveland can’t spend any money.  First and foremost, Cleveland will have the chance to retain the services of NBA Champion Tristan Thompson.  With Andre Drummond coming back by opting in, I can’t imagine Thompson coming back to a crowded frontcourt of Drummond, Love, and Nance Jr. having cemented roles.  I’d put it less than 50/50 for Thompson to come back.

The other Cavs free agent is beloved NBA Champion Matthew Dellavedova.  There’s a strong chance that Delly will be open to return in a veteran leadership role.  Given that it would likely be for the minimum, it makes a lot of sense on both sides for Delly to come back and help continue to mentor the young guards.

In terms of outside options, the Cavs options are using the MLE (about $9.8M) or veteran minimum. Although heavily linked to wings like Derrick Jones Jr. and Josh Jackson, the drafting of Isaac Okoro likely quenches the appetite for spending the full MLE on players on the wing.  Assessing the rest of the Cavs roster needs, swinging for the fences for reclamation projects seem to make a ton of sense.  Fitting that narrative, a couple players that seem to fit that bill are Kris Dunn and Harry Giles.

Dunn profiles as a supreme defensive point guard. Not a shooter by any means, Dunn has demonstrated strong defensive capabilities with flashes of strong playmaking.  Ironically, Dunn actually shoots decently from the FT line and has strong athletic indicators which can always provide hope on untapped potential.  In a puzzling move by the Chicago Bulls, Dunn was not offered a qualifying offer and he is now a free agent.  Though the Cleveland backcourt is fairly crowded with Garland, Sexton, and KPJ, Dunn could initially carve out a role as a backup guard/defensive sub while potentially working to unleash further development.  That being said, a lot of other teams also see a potential high-reward reclamation project without the crowdedness.

Giles is also a victim of a puzzling management decision. Although a first round pick in 2017, the Sacramento Kings turned down his team option, allowing Giles to chase free agency in the early stages of his career. Giles tore his ACL and fell in the draft due to injury concerns.  Sitting behind Marvin Bagley in Sacramento, Giles never got a consistent opportunity but in his spurts of starting, Harry has shown genuine promise of athleticism and activity.  Although the Cavs frontcourt is also awkwardly full, Giles could be a long-term play with the uncertainty of Drummond’s future and Love’s trade value.

All in all, the Cavs aren’t going to be very active in the market. The biggest move was likely drafting Isaac Okoro unless a trade can come to fruition to shake up the roster. The upside to this strategy is that Cleveland has some real continuity as they integrate rookies Isaac Okoro and Dylan Windler who missed all of last season with injury. The squad that showed surprising bursts of competence under Bernie Bickerstaff is mostly in tact.

Cleveland is now in year 3 of the rebuild with hopes of making leaps and bounds.  Let’s hope that the pieces can start to fit a little smoother with clarity shining through on how this team is being built.