Taking A Look At Current Free Agents

*Editor’s Note: This article was written prior to the Kyle Korver trade.

With the Cleveland Cavaliers coming up on the halfway point of the regular season, all seems to be good with the team at first glance. They sit atop the Eastern Conference, have three probable All-Stars in LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love, and own a Christmas Day victory over the Golden State Warriors. Barring an unforseen injury or major addition by an Eastern Conference rival, the Cavaliers seem to have a clear path to a return to the NBA Finals.

While the majority of the Cavaliers’ rotation has been relatively healthy, concerns arise with a closer look. J.R. Smith has been lost for the majority of the regular season due to a fractured thumb. Chris Andersen suffered a torn ACL that has ended his season, and possibly his career. Mo Williams decided to retire at the start of training camp, and is still taking up a roster spot. Kay Felder may not be ready, and Jordan McRae and Mike Dunleavy Jr. have disappointed.

Because of these issues, the Cavaliers have precious little depth, and have put more of a load than they had hoped on their starters. In particular, LeBron James averaged 39 minutes in the month of December, far more than he or the team would like. Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love have also played heavy minutes despite some nagging health issues. DeAndre Liggins has been pressed into the role of starting shooting guard, and while he has performed well, it’s likely a much larger role than the Cavs would prefer for him.

While many expect the Cavs to make some sort of trade to help alleviate their depth issues, that may not happen. This team has few assets left to deal, and owner Dan Gilbert seems to have hit his threshold in terms of spending on the roster. Because of this, the Cavaliers are unlikely to make use of any of their trade exceptions. They will either need to send out salary that is close to the amount they are taking back, or waive the likes of McRae, Williams, or Andersen to create spots for players who are already free agents to be signed to minimum contracts. While the last option will cost Gilbert and the Cavs millions in luxury taxes and isn’t likely to produce a difference maker, it may also be the most likely route for the team to take. With that said, here are some of the notable current free agents and how they may help the Cavaliers. Due to the rarity of out clauses in their contracts, we have excluded anyone who is currently playing for the Chinese Basketball Association.

Big Men

Available: Quincy Acy, Tyler Hansbrough, Jeff Ayres, Keith Benson, Eric Moreland, Cory Jefferson, Jeremy Evans

All of these men have some NBA experience, and bring a variety of different skills to the table. Acy, Ayres, Evans, and Hansbrough are energy big men who all of extensive NBA experience, the size of a power forward, and the game of the center. Of the three, Acy has shown the most potential as an outside shooter, shooting 19-for-49 from beyond the arc last season. He is also averaging over two blocks per game for the Texas Legends, using his energy and athleticism to make up for his relatively short stature at 6’7″.

Benson, Moreland, and Jefferson are all currently playing very well for their teams in the NBA Developmental League. Moreland and Joseph were both with the Cavaliers for training camp, but have completely different games. Jefferson is a shooter who has extended his range beyond the arc, and is currently shooting 50% from three on 1.8 attempts per game for the Austin Spurs. He is a decent rebounder, but offers little in the way of defense, even at the D-League level. Moreland, on the other hand, is a walking double-double, averaging 12.5 points and a league-leading 11.6 rebounds per game, in addition to 1.6 blocks per game. Unfortunately, he is also shooting twenty-eight percent from the free throw line, meaning that sending Moreland to the line is always a sound defensive strategy for the opposition.

Benson has been arguably the best big man in the NBADL, averaging 19.1 points, 11.2 rebounds, and a league-leading 3.3 blocks per game. He’s also shooting 53% from the field, 79% from the free throw line, and 50% from three, albeit on just four attempts this season. How is this guy not in the NBA? He’s a bit thin at 6’11” and 235 pounds, and is enough of a black hole on offense—he’s currently averaging o.6 assists per game—that his raw statistics suggest more of an impact than he actually makes, as he is currently sporting a negative offensive box plus-minus. Still, it’s surprising that Benson has just three NBA games on his resume, and all of those coming five seasons ago. For better or worse, it seems like the front offices of the league has made up their minds about him.

Preference: Acy. He’s a proven NBA player who is better than many big men currently in the league. Playing center is a stretch, but he very well could be an upgrade over what Chris Andersen brought to the team.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zz8IXB1A398

Point Guards

Available: Gary Payton II, Briante’ Weber, Quinn Cook, Phil Pressey, Toney Douglas, Kendall Marshall, Ray McCallum, Norris Cole, Mario Chalmers, Jarrett Jack, Xavier Munford, Greivis Vasquez, Julyan Stone

Given the Cavaliers’ longstanding need for a backup point guard, it says something that they haven’t made a move for one of these players. Chalmers would likely be the best option, as he has shown the combination of defense, ball-handling, and outside shooting that the Cavaliers are looking for at backup point guard, especially during his time playing alongside James with the Miami Heat. Unfortunately, Chalmers also suffered the most serious injury of the four, rupturing his Achilles on March 10 of last year. This injury is a veritable death blow to an NBA career, as players are often no longer effective when they return from this injury, if they return at all.

Jack, Cole, and Vasquez have also dealt with injuries in the last few months, and weren’t playing very well when they were healthy. It wouldn’t be a shock if all three have played their final game in the NBA. Marshall has played just one game for the Reno Bighorns, scoring 17 points, but recording just one assist and one rebound. He’s also never been much of a defender, and can’t score inside the arc. Douglas was in camp with the Cavs, and had a stint with the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this season, but it’s likely the Cavaliers have already decided that he isn’t the player they want at backup point guard.

The remaining point guards are all younger and have varying NBA experience and skill sets. Payton uses his athleticism to be a force on the boards and the defensive end, but he’s still a bit raw on the offensive end. McCallum is solid in almost every area of the game, but exceptional at none. Pressey would be another undersized point guard on a team that already has Kay Felder. Like Payton, Weber is an exceptional defender, but a work in progress on the offensive end. Stone is a combo guard who is thriving for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants after spending the last few seasons overseas. Finally, Munford performed well in a stint with the Grizzlies last season, but is a below-average defender who has regressed a bit at the offensive end this season.

Preference: If he’s healthy, Chalmers is the easy choice here. After that, things get a bit confusing. We’ll go with McCallum over Douglas in a battle of steady point guards with low upside, but it’s hard to see either getting rotation minutes with the Cavaliers, even in the regular season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mtj5Pdi6Rbw

Wings

Available: John Holland, Manny Harris, Jordan Crawford, Lance Stephenson, Dorell Wright, Jordan Hamilton, Chase Budinger, Dahntay Jones, Rasual Butler, Xavier Henry, Reggie Williams, Hollis Thompson

There’s a decent amount of shooting and defense here, but rarely both in one player. Holland has played for the Canton Charge the last two seasons, and spent the playoffs with the Boston Celtics and training camp with the Cavaliers. He’s currently averaging just over 20 points per game for the Charge, but is an inconsistent defender and outside shooter. Holland, Harris, and Crawford present the same fit issues as McRae; they can be volume scorers with the ball in their hands, but aren’t efficient and don’t fit well as role players working off the ball at the NBA level.

Hamilton is a scorer and solid outside shooter, but is both fairly inefficient on offense and a poor defender. Budinger’s once-promising career has been derailed by injuries that have robbed him of his effectiveness. Jones and Butler are at the end of their careers if they aren’t already over.

That leaves Williams, Wright, Stephenson, and Thompson. All three men have extensive NBA experience and are seemingly good enough to still play a role for some team. Williams is an underrated offensive player. He’s a very good shooter who can score from anywhere on the floor, and is also a solid passer and rebounder for his size and position. Unfortunately he’s a bit thick for a wing and is limited defensively due to both his body structure and lack of athleticism.

Wright has had a decent career as a bench forward who can guard both threes and fours while spacing the floor. He spent most of last season in China, but returned to fill a small rotation role for the Miami Heat in the playoffs. It’s been a bit surprising to see Wright, a useful player, generate so little interest in the league over the last few years, both in terms of contract size and roster spot. Maybe there’s something about him that the public doesn’t know. He seems to prefer teams that are based in warm weather cities, but a chance to win another championship—he won a title with the Heat in 2006—would seem to be enticing as well.

Stephenson has developed a poor reputation around the NBA after causing locker room problems with the Pacers, and then falling flat on his face after signing with the Charlotte Hornets as a free agent two seasons ago. A solid defender and ball handler who showed great versatility for some Pacers teams that were true title contenders, Stephenson wanted a larger role and felt that he deserved greater recognition for his play. Unfortunately, his inconsistent shooting, combined with a propensity for turnovers and erratic and selfish play, have sabotaged a once-promising career. He did show some signs of regaining his promise while finishing last season in Memphis, and was praised for his professionalism with the New Orleans Pelicans before tearing his groin just six games into this season. Stephenson is expected to be ready to return to the court in a few weeks, and will likely be able to secure a deal with some team that believes in his talent enough to take a chance on his improved behavior.

It was a bit of a surprise when the Philadelphia 76ers waived Thompson this week. He’s a career 38.9% three-point shooter, who has good size and plays solid individual defense. He’s not much of a help defender or rebounder, and his true shooting percentage has decreased in every year of his career, but at just 25 years old, he’s young and skilled, just the kind of player the Cavaliers should want to acquire.

Preference: Unlike the backup point guard spot, there are plenty off good options here. Williams seems like the bet offensive fit, but it’s hard to see him defending enough to play against the Golden State Warriors. Stephenson could play in that series, but his lack of shooting and control of his emotions are a poor fit. The idea of Stephenson around J.R. Smith also could give the Cavaliers—or at least this writer—a heart attack. A week ago we would have gone with Wright, whose combination of shooting and defense could be enough for a limited role on a championship team. Now Thompson gets the nod. He’s a young veteran, a definite NBA player, and LeBron James+Shooters is as successful a formula as any in the league.

With teams now allowed to sign players to 10-day contracts, and all other contracts guaranteed for the rest of the season starting Tuesday, it seems likely that the Cleveland Cavaliers will make some moves to shore up their depth sooner than later. Their first move will likely be to try and make a trade that benefits them both on the court and in the amount of luxury tax they will pay. If that doesn’t happen, there are still some talented free agents available who could help them this season.