The Cleveland Cavaliers surprised a myriad of NBA fans last season as one of the top teams in the East for at least half of the season. However, inexperience and injuries hindered their progress as they were eliminated in the play-in tournament by the Atlanta Hawks. Despite the loss, their run showed immense potential for the front office to possibly bolster their roster for the 2022-23 season.
Adding Donovan Mitchell was the major move executed by the Cavs front office, and the fit is seamless with the core of Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. Even with the tremendous success, there is one glaring hole on their roster: a versatile and athletic wing that can defend the likes of Jayson Tatum or Kevin Durant in a seven-game series. Thus, here are a couple of names they must consider before the NBA trade deadline.
Kyle Kuzma
The most obvious and realistic choice would be Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma. He has found his rhythm and confidence this year with the current struggles of Bradley Beal, but he has a player option by the end of this season, and it is likely for him to opt out of that deal. With the cap expected to increase, he will demand a higher salary in his next contract.
Thus, it will not take a ton of return to acquire Kyle Kuzma, but he fits incredibly to the weaknesses of the Cavs. He has improved his defensive mechanics and awareness, which is integral because of the undersized backcourt of Mitchell and Garland. Furthermore, Kuzma is another scoring punch on the floor who can create his shot and ramp up to reach 20 points on any given night.
Harrison Barnes
Another wing who has championship experience, Harrison Barnes is the additional veteran presence that may propel Cleveland to serious title consideration. He does not seem to fit the timeline of his current squad, and he is not involved with the offensive schemes of the Sacramento Kings. His role could be a bit similar to the Cavaliers, but he will be closer to winning another chip.
Cleveland has the salary of Caris LeVert to match Barnes’ salary which is a brilliant swap for the Cavaliers because they need the strengths of Barnes more with the current composition of the roster. Barnes will spot up from the corner, and defenses cannot help too much on Darius Garland or Donovan Mitchell. Barnes is not as talented as LeVert in terms of creating shots for himself, but he has a higher basketball IQ and is a willing contributor to the dirty work.
Bojan Bogdanovic
The third-best fit in the current iteration of the Cleveland Cavaliers is Detroit Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic. Recently, he signed an extension with the Pistons, but they seem to be headed the other way because of the injury to franchise cornerstone Cade Cunningham. For Bogdanovic, his repertoire seems to be a better fit in Cleveland than in Detroit as he has proven to flourish as a fourth or fifth-best starter in his previous tenures.
The approach of Bojan Bogdanovic is not to demand a similar usage rate in Detroit because he can still have a ton of shots by just spotting up and knocking down catch-and-shoot threes. Bogdanovic is a below-average defender compared to Kuzma and Barnes, but he is the better shooter among the three options. Thus, the Cavs must inquire and negotiate on the possible wing help they need for their postseason run before the NBA trade deadline.
.