John Hollinger — who previously served as the vice president of basketball operations for the Memphis Grizzlies — seems to be under the assumption that the Cleveland Cavaliers will sign at least one more player to their roster.
“I also didn’t include ‘non-moves’ here, although it wouldn’t be hard to come up with a few,” Hollinger wrote. “For instance, I’m still waiting to find out what the New Orleans Pelicans’ likely opening day lineup looks like — this can’t be it, right? I’m also assuming the Cleveland Cavaliers will eventually sign another player or three and fill out their roster.”
One player who was an important contributor for the Cavaliers during the 2023-24 campaign and still remains a free agent is Isaac Okoro, whom Cleveland used a top-five pick on back in the 2020 NBA Draft. However, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on Friday that the Cavaliers have “hard-lined” in their contract negotiations with the 23-year-old, who averaged 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game in the 2023-24 regular season, his fourth season in Cleveland.
“He ended up getting signed and traded,” Windhorst said of Collin Sexton. “But I remember that before he got signed and traded, there was very, very minimal negotiation that took place between the Cavs and Sexton. The Cavs sort of really hard-lined and probably would have stayed on the hard line had they not ended up getting a chance to trade for Donovan Mitchell. And then they worked out the sign-and-trade.
“I think this is the same situation here. The Cavs have hard-lined with another restricted free agent, Isaac Okoro. I think there’s only been a little bit of talking back and forth. I’m sure it will increase as we get closer to camp. I think the Cavs are realizing that all the money is spent out there. Okoro has the option of taking his qualifying offer. I am told the Cavs made a multiyear offer, whatever that’s worth.”
More specifically, Okoro is a restricted free agent — meaning the Cavaliers can match any offer he receives from a rival team — and arguably the best restricted free agent still available on the market.
When taking a look at the Cavaliers’ current depth or lack thereof at the forward spots, one can understand why it might be in the team’s best interest to re-sign Okoro before the start of the upcoming 2024-25 season. Plus, Mobley stands as one of the only who is a very impactful defensive player.
Okoro has made his hay on the defensive end so far in his pro career. He possesses the build to make life difficult for opposing forwards and guards alike, as he stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs in at 225 pounds.
However, along with his defensive chops, Okoro has steadily improved as a 3-point shooter during his NBA career. He has improved upon his 3-point percentage in each of his four seasons in the pros, and he shot a career-high 39.1 percent from deep last season.
Cavaliers fans should have their fingers crossed that the team signs Okoro in the near future in order to bolster its depth at the forward positions.
