The Cleveland Cavaliers made some major strides during the 2021-22 NBA season. While they ultimately missed the playoffs, losing to the Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks in the NBA Play-In Tournament, they have to be happy about the direction that the team is heading.
They have some excellent young building blocks as the foundation of the roster in Darius Garland and Evan Mobley. Jarrett Allen and Lauri Markkanen have proven to be excellent fits as well. The team is hoping they can get more from Isaac Okoro going forward, who was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
This is a team that could develop into contenders soon. They are seemingly on a path similar to what the Memphis Grizzlies were on in 2021 and the Minnesota Timberwolves followed this season. Finding those pieces to elevate the roster should begin this offseason.
Over at ClutchPoints, an article was put together about players that the Cleveland Cavaliers should target in NBA free agency. Three of them are in the backcourt, starting with Rajon Rondo. Rondo was acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers in a trade during the season, bringing some veteran leadership to a young team that had lost Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio to injury.
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It shouldn’t be too expensive to bring back Rondo, whose championship experience would be valuable to the Cavaliers. Another point guard they could show some interest in is Jalen Brunson of the Dallas Mavericks.
Bringing in another dynamic, scoring guard would certainly help Cleveland’s offense. The Cleveland Cavaliers sorely need another facilitator and Brunson could provide that. While a backcourt of Brunson and Garland would be undersized, they were able to overcome that with Sexton and Garland as a pairing in the backcourt.
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If they are opting for more size, Malik Monk would be an interesting target. Monk came into his own during the 2021-22 season with the Los Angeles Lakers, putting up career numbers across the board. He showed how versatile he could be with the Lakers, scoring efficiently and making strides as a playmaker.
Monk would provide more insurance in case Caris LeVert cannot consistently find his footing in Cleveland after he was acquired from the Indiana Pacers. But, the one position that the Cleveland Cavaliers could really use help is on the wing.
The last player mentioned by ClutchPoints that could fill that void is Miles Bridges. A restricted free agent of the Charlotte Hornets, Bridges had a career season as well. But, dumping even more money into the frontcourt is something that would be hard to fathom Cleveland doing.
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Markkanen is already playing what many thought to be out of position as a small forward, which is what Bridges would have to do as well. Mobley and Allen should be locked in as the starting frontcourt, so adding another high-priced player to the frontcourt may not be in the cards.
