4 Cavaliers Who Won’t Be Back in 2024
The Cleveland Cavaliers have massive decisions to make this offseason. First, they have to hire a new head coach after parting ways with JB Bickerstaff. Then, they have to reshape their roster to ensure they take a significant step forward next season.
The reporting out of Cleveland suggests that the Cavs are likely keeping the core four together. They will run it back with the Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen group for another season to see if there is a championship contender there.
This means that they will presumably retool the rest of the roster. If the core four isn’t the problem, then it has to be the role players. Once the Cavs have their next head coach and free agency kicks off in less than two weeks, Cleveland might be parting ways with the following four players.
Isaac Okoro
After four seasons in Cleveland, the former fifth-overall pick is finally hitting free agency. It is clear at this point that Okoro will likely never live up to the hype he came into the league with. However, he is still a solid role player who made small improvements every year.
He is never going to be a high-usage player offensively but Okoro is an improved shooter, having hit 39.1% of his threes last year. He is a good perimeter defender with an ability to guard multiple positions. Plus, he is still only 23 years old.
However, he is just not a great fit on this team. His best position is the shooting guard and he is too undersized to play the small forward. He is still not the most reliable shooter, making it tough to play him next to Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
The Cavs need more forward-sized players next to their core four. Therefore, it’s not worth to give Okoro a lucrative, long-term extension. A potential sign-and-trade scenario involving him could make a ton of sense.
Georges Niang
When the Cavaliers signed Georges Niang to a three-year, $25.5 million deal in the 2023 offseason, they were hoping he would space the floor for his teammates and knock down open jump shots. That had been his calling card in the NBA for a long time, having hit over 40% from three in every season of his career.
Until last season.
Niang had to play a larger role for the Cavs with the injuries to Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley but largely struggled. He appeared in 82 games, started in 10, and played over 22 minutes per game. He shot 37.6% from downtown and averaged 9.4 points per game.
These are not bad numbers but for a player who doesn’t bring much else to the table except for shooting, it’s not enough.
Niang is a defensive liability. At 6’7, he is undersized for a power forward. He is strong but slow and unathletic. He struggles in guarding players on the perimeter and or protecting the rim. He lost his rotation role in the playoffs as he only appeared in 10 games and played 10 minutes per appearance. He was an abysmal 9/41 from the field in those minutes.
Plus, he is 31 years old and will likely continue to decline. He can still be useful due to his elite shooting but the Cavs should aim higher and look for upgrades in his salary spot and rotation role.
Tristan Thompson
Another role the Cavs should look to upgrade is the backup center. The 33-year-old Tristan Thompson did alright in limited minutes last season, but he also received a 25-game suspension due to violating the league’s anti-drug policy.
Even though having veterans on your bench is useful, the Cavs need to aim higher if they want to be a title contender. As a placeholder who can eat minutes during the regular season, Thompson is not going to kill you. He is not going to help you much either. He will grab rebounds and provide some physicality but that is about it.
Fortunately for the Cavs, Evan Mobley plays center when Jarrett Allen is on the bench or sidelined. They don’t need the highest-quality backup center.
However, someone who can shoot the three to give opposing defenses a different look in bench units could go a long way.
Thompson’s contract is expiring and even though he can re-sign on a minimum deal, the Cavs can sign a better player with that slot.
Caris LeVert
LeVert took a significant step forward last season and became one of the better perimeter defenders on the roster. The 29-year-old is a decent bench player who has the ability to have big scoring games. He can run the pick-and-roll, pass, and get to the basket. However, he is a wildly inefficient player who needs the ball in his hands.
The 29-year-old shooting guard is a career 34% three-point shooter and hit 32.5% of his attempts last year. His field goal percentage was 42.1% in the 2023-24 season. He is not a good off-ball player due to his shooting limitations and he is not efficient enough to justify giving him the ball to.
Next to Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, the Cavs need players who can space the floor and play off-ball. Max Strus, Sam Merrill, and Dean Wade are therefore better fits. However, LeVert makes more money than every single one of these players.
His $16.6 million salary for the 2024-25 season is not the best use of resources for the Cavaliers. The good thing is that it is an expiring deal and Cleveland can attach draft picks in a potential trade scenario to upgrade there. If they have to move on from one player this summer, LeVert should be that name.
