John Hollinger — who previously served as vice president of basketball operations for the Memphis Grizzlies — seems to be under the assumption that the The Cleveland Cavaliers will sign at least one additional player to its squad.
“I also didn’t include ‘non-movements’ here, although it wouldn’t be hard to find a few,” Hollinger said. wrote. “For example, I’m still waiting to know what the The New Orleans Pelicans“The probable opening day lineup looks like this – it can’t be that, can it? I also assume that The Cleveland Cavaliers will eventually sign one or three more players and complete his squad.
One player who made a significant contribution to the Cavaliers during the 2023-24 campaign and still remains a free agent is Isaac Okoro, on whom Cleveland used a top-five pick in the 2020 NBA draft. However, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported Friday that the Cavaliers have ” hard “ in their contract negotiations with the 23-year-old, who averaged 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game in the 2023-24 regular season, his fourth season in Cleveland.
“He ended up being signed and traded,” Windhorst said of Collin Sexton. “But I remember before he was signed and traded, there was very little negotiation between the Cavs and Sexton. The Cavs kind of took a hard line and probably would have stayed on that hard line if they hadn’t had the chance to trade for Donovan Mitchell. And then they worked out the sign-and-trade thing.”
“I think it’s the same situation here. The Cavs have made a strong move with another restricted free agent, Isaac Okoro. I think there’s been little discussion. I’m sure it’s going to intensify as we get closer to camp. I think the Cavs realize all the money is being spent there. Okoro has the option to accept his qualifying offer. I’m told the Cavs have made a multi-year offer, whatever it’s worth.”
Specifically, Okoro is a restricted free agent — meaning the Cavaliers can match any offer he receives from a rival team — and arguably the best restricted free agent still available on the market.
Looking at the Cavaliers’ current depth or lack thereof at forward, one can see why it might be in the team’s best interest to re-sign Okoro before the start of the upcoming 2024-25 season. Additionally, Mobley is one of the few players who is a high-impact defensive player.
Okoro has proven himself in defense so far in his professional career. He has the build to make life difficult for opposing forwards and backs, standing at 1.95m and weighing 102kg.
However, in addition to his defensive skills, Okoro has steadily improved as a three-point shooter throughout his NBA career. He has improved his three-point percentage in each of his four pro seasons, and he shot a career-best 39.1 percent from three last season.
Cavaliers fans should keep their fingers crossed that the team signs Okoro in the near future to bolster its depth at forward.
