The Cleveland Cavaliers are a team that is in the middle of a rebuild. The team bought out veteran Andre Drummond this season to give Jarrett Allen more playing time, and a lot of their roster is fairly young. They are a team that is currently seeking to develop talent, rather than competing.
Free agency will be coming up this summer, and it looks as though the Cleveland Cavaliers may make moves to bolster their roster with more talent that fits their timeline. Chris Fedor of cleveland.com has revealed a list of the free agents that the Cavaliers are rumored to extend offers to, which includes Talen Horton-Tucker and Alex Caruso who were both part of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Any list of potential free agent targets should start with Indiana’s T.J. McConnell and Los Angeles pest Alex Caruso. Both are on the Cavs’ list. Both fit really well. Some prefer Caruso. He’s younger, bigger, stronger and can guard multiple spots. Others like McConnell more. Even though he doesn’t shoot many 3s, he’s more polished, capable of filling in as starter, puts pressure on the rim and was the league’s steals leader.
Talen Horton-Tucker is another name to watch — although he will be a restricted free agent if the Lakers make a qualifying offer. Restricted free agency is tricky. Doug McDermott is an elite outside shooter, but he often gets played off the court because of his defensive deficiencies. Can the Cavs really afford another minus-defender?
There are other names worth watching: Denzel Valentine, Daniel Theis, Austin Rivers, Dante Exum, Reggie Bullock, Otto Porter Jr., Stanley Johnson and Josh Hart, who is one of Nance’s best friends and, sources say, would like a fresh start.
It seems as though the main players to look out for here are the two Lakers guards and T. J. McConnell and Josh Hart. Players often team up with their friends in the NBA, and Josh Hart making his way over to Cleveland wouldn’t be that surprising if this report is accurate. Talen Horton-Tucker could be a great option, as he is a talented young player who clearly needs more touches, and perhaps the Cleveland Cavaliers could pry him away from the Lakers with a big enough contract. Hopefully, the Cavaliers can acquire more talent to accelerate their rebuild, and develop their existing core.
