Free Agency Roundtable

With all the free agency news this week, and the madness ready to kick off Thursday night, we decided to get the CtB folks together to throw around hot takes on the Cavs’ direction and the news around the league. First up, our favorite opera singer.

Ben Werth

Man, people just want to hate without understanding.

If the Knicks end up with Brunson, that is a huge move. Dude isn’t a s**t defender, (though no where near a positive like his body double, Kyle Lowry, but he is fine, doesn’t have a terrible injury history, and is only 25. It isn’t like he is 29 coming off multiple injury years like Kemba. RJ Barrett is also going to be next to him, along with Quickley. I love Barrett 200 percent more if he is next to dudes who can shoot and handle.

Unfortunately, they still have Thibs… Randle, Toppin, and Reddish don’t really go together, and they will have to figure that out. That doesn’t make Brunson not a great move. It isn’t like he is going to get the Max max..

In other news, how are people still tossing our Tyus Jones for the mid-level and Collin for just under 20? “might go to eight figures!” If he doesn’t get eight figures, his agent should be fired. What effing planet do fans (or perhaps GMs) live on? Jones is such a better player than all these 20 Mil mediocre guys. I would offer him 15 and sleep well. He is a great player, and honestly often the better player to Ja’s flash.  A team needs Ja’s personality and top end moments ( no, I’m not going nuts claiming that Jones is overall better than Ja), but if they lost Jones, they are going to be a less effective team.

Imagine how good the Wolves would be if they switched Russell out for Jones? That isn’t going to happen in a direct way, or at all, but Jones would immediately make any team in need of intelligent two way play will benefit immediately. I would offer him a bigger contract than LeVert and Sexton combined.

Die horse, Die!!!!! oh… Die!!!!

Nate Smith

I feel you on Brunson. The Mavs look like utter morons for not extending Jalen last summer, and will likely have to pay a premium to keep him. Props on his agent for making them pay out the nose to keep the second best player on a Western Conference finals team. Also, Tyus Jones. Good Gravy, would someone grow a brain and realize he should be one of the top free agent targets in the association? Memphis is absolutely not going over the cap to re-sign Tyus. If you’re a team with cap room sitting there like Detroit or the Sixers, why in God’s name would you waste your money on a $19+ million per year sexton offer when you could probably sign Tyus for a four year $60 million dollar and like you said, sleep well.

Speaking of Detroit, I am very worried about the Cavs going backwards in the Eastern conference. Atlanta just traded for Base8 Triple Double king, DeJounte Murray, giving up two first rounders and three pick swaps, plus Danilo Gallinari. What an absolute steal. The twitter dopes that don’t understand how DeJounte and Trae can fit together don’t realize how much load Murray is going to take off Trae. Young doesn’t have to run Atlanta’s whole offense any more to be successful, and he can run around screens like Steph off-ball to get easy looks. Trae’s gravity will open up the lane for Murray and will make life easier for everyone. Plus, you can always have one of them on the floor. They’ve clearly passed Cleveland and haven’t even dealt with Juice Collins yet.

Also, with Detroit having cap room and having traded for Noel and Alec Burks, they’re suddenly deeper with veteran support. Of course, Jaden Ivey is the reason they probably won’t chase Jones. That cat is my early rookie of the year candidate. This Detroit team with no free agent additions yet, and two or three straight killer draft classes (Killian Hayes not withstanding) could eclipse the Cavs this coming season.

And speaking of Cleveland. Color me worried as hell. If you’re not getting better in the NBA, you’re getting worse. They currently look like they may have been passed by the Brunson Knicks, the Hawks, and the Pistons. The additions of Monte Morris and Will Barton make the Wizards look like a good bet to eclipse the .500 mark. Meanwhile the Cavs seem content to coast on their first half success from last season, choosing not to bid for DeJounte Murray and not choosing to address their biggest need: a wing with size. Currently the only wing they have taller than 6-5 is Cedi Osman.

As I informed my Subtexters — and Cavs Insiders — I asked a source close to the Dejounte Murray situation yesterday if #Cavs were “in on Murray” still and I was told, “No.”

— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) June 29, 2022

Fedor’s pod tonight seems like the Cavs are committed to running it back with Rubio and using the last NBA contract spot for a backup center (Isaiah Mobley likely to be two-way) baring some unforeseen trade.

— Cavs:TheBlog (@CavsTheTweets) June 27, 2022

Obviously, this seems to include Sexton. The lack of urgency, and the fact that the Cavs are counting on the same core last season, makes me worried that they’re content to achieve the same goal: make the play-in, and nothing more. Maybe they want to keep their lottery pick again. I pitched this to the staff, and Eli Kim’s response was, “if the Cavs are tanking, why did they draft Agbaji ovelarr Branham or Griffin?” (or Eason). “That’s anti-tank. That’s just over-confidence.” Preach, Eli.

I don’t even quite understand the need for a backup center when they have three guys in last year’s starting lineup that can play the five. It makes a lot more sense to me to get a 3/4 wing who can allow Lauri or Mobley to play up a position or too. Of course, I understand the desire to add some bulk, but I’m not quite sure who the Cavs could add. I also am baffled by this thought that the Cavs couldn’t take some fliers on guys at the end of the roster. Of course, I think Lamar Stevens isn’t an NBA player, and his shot is unfixable. I’m a curmudgeon. Hopefully Wade can be Wade again next season, and hopefully the Cavs make some positive additions to the way they manage load and injuries, but I’m not holding my breath. What say you, about all this, Chris?

Chris Francis

I like Nate’s idea about expanding the free agency search to get a player who can let Lauri, Kevin Love, or Mobley play up a position. Unfortunately, there aren’t really many options (Ben McLemore? Rodney Hood reunion?) in that regard among the free agent pool. A guy like Bobby Portis could fit nicely there, but there’s probably zero chance he comes to Cleveland.

I will take a victory lap here about the Collin Sexton contract negotiations, yours truly has been a “3/45-50ish” guy regarding what the Cavs should pony up, and Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer confirmed that was what the Cavs offered. Things appear to be trending in the direction of sixth man Collin Sexton, which is something that I’ve wanted to see ever since Darius Garland arrived on the scene.

As for Cavs’ free agency, outside of a Ricky Rubio reunion, it doesn’t sound like that the Cavs are going to do much else besides a veteran minimum guy to fill the 15th spot on the roster. Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor mentioned a backup point guard or backup center was in play. Similarly to Nate, I’m in the camp that would much rather see a point guard added to the mix given how last year showed how important having a backup point guard is. A few minimum guys with non-Bird rights include Jevon Carter or Gary Peyton II, granted GP2 is in line for a massive pay increase if he goes to a cap space team. But the Cavs could offer the midlevel exception to GP2 if they were so inclined. Both of these guys would represent an upgrade to Brandon Goodwin, not to say that Goodwin wasn’t a legit third string point guard, he was.

As for some veteran minimum backup centers, there’s not very many good options there but I’d be interested in two players with non-Bird rights: Luke Kornet or CtB favorite Isaiah “Hard Rock” Hartenstein. Both players have familiarity with the current Cavs regime, Cavs’ POBO Koby Altman can correct the mistake he made letting Hartenstein get away.

To wrap up this free agency roundtable vignette, I will once again plead with Koby Altman to go star hunting… Bradley Beal, Zach LaVine, Donovan Mitchell, consolidate the Sexton/LeVert platoon for a real perimeter star. Kevin Love is already on the job so make it happen Koby!

Lebron still in NYC… working out with Kevin Love and Donovan Mitchell… pic.twitter.com/r79hjnSgvy

— EP (@epark1016) June 26, 2022