Rebuilding the Cavs: Krazy Koby’s Trade Lot

Watching the NBA playoffs this season, it’s hard not to make a list of pieces the Cavs need to add or replace if they want to make it past the first round of the playoffs next season. The problem I have is that I don’t trust their GM to make the right changes, nor the coach to trust the players Koby adds.

It’s a weird dichotomy with Cleveland: find guys who would actually help the Cavs, and who JB would actually play consistently. It’s not unlike scanning the used car sites then arguing with your spouse over the need for third row seating with every roster building decision. So welcome to our multi-part series on the Cavs’ off-season options that the Cleveland front office will studiously ignore.

It is fun, though, to imagine Koby in a giant kowboy hat hawking player contracts like used cars. If you’ve got a sedan that can rebound, shoot threes, or defend the wing, push, pull, or tow your trade-in on down to Cleveland and make an offer on some of these late model bargains! We’ve got low low mileage options like Cedi Osman, Jarrett Allen, and Isaac Okoro, ready to drive off the lot and down your lane! (Or to park in the corner all game.)

The 2017 model year Cedi Osman has a $6.7 million 2023-2024 salary that becomes guaranteed on June 29. At first glance, Cedi’s salary is a bargain for a bench wing in his prime capable of averaging double digits. Lord knows the Cavs need wings; bringing back a guy who can play at a replacement level and is a three level scorer seems like a no-brainer. But with a service department that started Llama Stevens 21 games to Cedi’s two, it’s a fair question to ask: “Why keep Cedi if the coach won’t play him?” and also, maybe Cedi deserves to go to a team that believes in him (#FreeCedi).

The Cavs have four options with Osman: guarantee his 23-24 salary and bring him back, guarantee his 23-24 salary and trade him, don’t guarantee his salary and release him, or – most intriguingly – trade him before the end of the season and let the team who receives him release him. Why would either team do that? The Cavs could add a player under contract for next season while the receiving team could clear their books. This would also let the Cavs add salary before using any of their exceptions.

So if the Cavs are adding players, what do they need? I contend the Cavs need either a stretch 4-5 or a stretch 3-4 who can play the power forward when Mobley moves to center, or, preferably, both. How about someone who can play five positions?

Slo-mo isn’t sexy, and he reportedly clashed with teammates which finally blew up with an in-game altercation with teammate Rudy Gobert, who punched Kyle in the chest after he told Rudy to ‘shut the f— up, b—-.’ I mean sign me up for that guy right now. I would have killed for someone to challenge Jarrett Allen like that. The Cavs could use a vet who terrifies their young guys and plays with anger. Roy Kent, anyone?

Anderson fills several holes on the team as well. He’s an elite defender who ranks in the top 20% for steals and blocks. He’s a solid rebounder, who can literally play and guard every position on the court (though shooting guard is a stretch). Slo-mo isn’t a prolific three point shooter, but he’s not a guy you have to hide in the corner either. He shot 41% from deep last year, on 1.5 attempts a game, and two seasons ago hit 36% on 3.8 attempts. Yeah, his release is (sometimes painfully) slow, but if he actually forces teams to guard him from the corner, I can live with it. Also, he’s a guy who JB would trust with starter’s minutes. Here’s highlights from a random game.

Kyle’s good enough that the Cavs might have to add more to make that deal work, and that leads to looking at Cleveland’s embarrassingly bare-ass lot of tradeable assets. It’s also a bit like trading a sexy European coupe for a very utilitarian cargo van, but if Cleveland could pull it off, it would be totally worth it as opposed to letting Cedi drive off the lot.

Other interesting players who fit that salary slot and might be available include Washington’s Delon Wright (steal master), San Antonio’s Zach Collins (playable third big), Brooklyn’s Royce O’Neal (Spida’s three point shooting best friend), Dallas’ Maxi Kleber and/or Reggie Bullock (😬) , the Clippers’ Robert Covington (Eli’s stretch big of choice) and pretty much anyone making 4-11 million.

The other big decision is what to do with the Jarrett Allen. Allen had a brutal series against the Kicks, and likely his value is at an all-time low, but it’s still better than Okoro’s. Also, consider that the list of teams who could use a $20 mil vertical rim threat and defender is surprisingly short. A lot of teams already have that guy, but there are a few who dont. Dallas, Houston, Portland, and the Suns come to mind. All four are looking to significantly improve their rosters going into next season, and frankly from a contract value standpoint, Jarrett Allen makes a lot more sense than DeAndre Ayton. Let’s look at some options for moving Allen with the goal of returning shooting and rebounding.

In this scenario the Cavs move Allen for Christian Wood, a very good offensive player and someone who has been a feckless defender at best. But the dude racks up counting stats like a fiend.

Wood also annoyed and irritated his teammates and coaches in Houston and Dallas. That being said, there’s a lot of annoying teammates and coaches in Houston and Dallas, and more importantly, what’s the point of having a culture setting defensive minded coach if he can’t make a mediocre defender and a locker room shit-ass… better?

The Cavs could also move Allen for Tim Hardaway Junior and one of Kleber or Powell, but I doubt Dallas wants to move THJ. They don’t have a ton of shooting as it is.

Nimble SUV for a Bosnian box truck, anyone?  Here the Cavs move the switchable defender and vertical threat, Allen, for a more ground bound Jusef Nurkic, who can defensive rebound with the best of them, has range out to the three, and sets better screens. What the Cavs lose in this trade defensively, they gain in offense (marginally). For the difference in talent, the Cavs get a first rounder for their trouble, that they could hopefully flip for another upgrade.

Assuming the Rockets sign Harden, they’re going to need more pros. Enter Jarrett Allen. Here, Houston gives up three assets to trade Allen into cap space, the Clippers help the Cavs fill their hole at center, and they get Roco off their books. As deep as Steve Ballmer is in the luxury tax, I’m sure the Clips will be looking for a way to move him. For roster spots, Kenyon Martin Jr. takes Lamar Stevens’ spot, while Tari Eason gives Mobley a power forward that much better complements Evan’s skillset. The Cavs would still likely have to add another big in the free agent market.

Finally, given that the Cavs are “dangling” the human equivalent of a muscle car, Isaac Okoro, to try to “improve their roster.” Who could use a good defensive wing who’s just 22 and has every potential to keep improving on offense? I still say that theoretical Isaac Okoro is still better than anyone they could actually get for Okoro. I’d rather roll the dice on another year of development than move him. I mean the much maligned move to start Okoro at the three against the Knicks was not nearly as bad as many would tell you. Garland, Mitchell, Okoro, Mobley, and Allen were Cleveland’s third most used lineup in the playoffs and had a net rating of 13.3 in 22 minutes. In the regular season, it was +6.9 with a true shooting over 60. The dude’s about to break out. (I will keep saying this till he’s 35).

But if Koby were to move Ice…

Everybody gets a team option! The Cavs get Alec Burks to split time at the three with Caris. Alec’s a knockdown shooter now,l and a very refined offensive player who doesn’t kill you on D. Isaiah Stewart is likely the odd man out in Detroit’s attempt to acquire all the Association’s busted big men instead of playing Jalen Duren. Stewart would do well in The Land as a third big who can rebound, hit the occasional three, block some shots, and goon it up a bit. Lamar’s in there to make the salaries work.

I know. This one is pie-in-the-sky BS. I mean Okoro would help Charlotte, giving them a real defensive wing that can run in transition with LaMelo. But there’s no way they’re eating Rubio’s contract. Especially in a sign-and trade, even if he would be the perfect mentor for LaMelo. Personally, I know Ricky’s gonna be just fine next season, but if you did want to do a deal with Charlotte, it would have to be dumb. They only do dumb trades. You could do worse, though, than adding a decent stretch four in PJ Washington and a gunner who really broke out this last season in Svi.

“You wanna get nuts? Let’s get nuts.” if you’ve been watching the playoffs, you know by now that Michael Keaton reprised his role as Batman for the new Flash movie. Yay, we’re resurrecting the multi-verse yet again! But the fun thing about the line featured in all the trailers is that he stole it from a famous Seinfeld episode, which stole it 1989’s Batman, so it’s all come full circle, just like these dopey trades.

The first Bulls trade brings Javonte Green on a sign and trade: a quality bench wing. It also adds our old pal ‘Dre Drummond (who solves defensive rebounding problems, and adds so many others). Finally, it adds DJJr, an athletic if undersized wing who got all the way up to 34% on triples, when he was absolutely wide open last year. The Bulls make the move to clear salary and add a young prospect, and the Cavs do it to add rebounding and wings who are no better than the one the Cavs are giving up.

Last and certainly least is the DeMar DeRozan sell your frickin’ soul, four Chevys for a Caddytrade. Man he would annoy me in a Cavs uni: all the isos, the grifting, the flops. Even though these older Cadillacs have a terrible resale and get shitty mileage, the DeRozan has been a reliable scorer and defender, even if his game is ugly and his salary is a bear.  Ricky gives the Bulls an emergency point guard and everyone else is salary.

The options aren’t great here. The Cavs will probably end up hanging onto to their fleet of Cedi, Allen, and Ice but who knows? I, for one, wanna start getting nuts. Let’s start kicking tires all over The Association. Gimme your ideas.

Next up, we look at the Cavs’ ability to add free agents, and who they could sign at the wing. Stay tuned and Go Cavs.