Cleveland Cavaliers: What Moves Do They Make Next?

When the NBA opens up for business, the Cavaliers will need a plan of attack to quickly sign free agents, make trades and set the depth chart before the start of the season.  

The Cavaliers offseason strategy will differ from past years. The Cavs are coming off a 19 win season, and two of their top players will not be on the team in two years.   

To get a head start, the following slides list each position with a letter grade, estimated depth chart and proposed actions to address any concerns. If necessary, free agents are listed as options and potential draft targets are listed to keep in mind who will be available next year. 

The Cavaliers race towards relevance has included giant strides of progress with the draft and J.J. Hickson trade, and the Cavs will look to continue that momentum at the end of the NBA lockout.

Point Guard: A-

Depth Chart (Age, Remaining Years on Contract, Player Efficiency Rating)

1. Baron Davis (32, 2, 19.3 PER)
2. Kyrie Irving (19, 4^, TBD)
3. Ramon Sessions (25, 2*, 19.0 PER) 

Advice: This position is in great shape. Find a way to keep Sessions as the long-term backup to Irving and get the most out of Davis, either by trade or leadership by example.

* - Includes Player Option
^ - Estimated Rookie Contract

Shooting Guard: D+

Depth Chart (Age, Remaining Years on Contract, Player Efficiency Rating)

1. Daniel Gibson (25, 2T, 13.2 PER)
2. Anthony Parker (36, 0#, 10.5 PER)
3. Manny Harris (21, 1^, 10.5 PER) 

Advice: Out of necessity, the Cavs should give Baron Davis and Ramon Sessions time at shooting guard. Anthony Parker will surely be gone. Manny Harris should be given another look since he is only 21. 

Regarding the future, an incredible option could be the selection of Austin Rivers (Freshman, Projected #1-5) from Duke. The all-Duke backcourt of Irving and Rivers could set the Cavs up for the next decade if the NBA lockout results in favoring a team’s ability to keep their own stars. 

The following free agents must come at the right price, but they do have the attractive characteristics of being, 1) under the age of 25, and 2) have a Player Efficiency Rating greater than 15. 

Marcus Thornton - Sacramento Kings (24, Restricted, 16.5 PER)
J.R. Smith - Denver Nuggets (25, Unrestricted, 16.4 PER)

T - Includes Team Option Year
# - Unrestricted Free Agent
^ - Includes Non-Guaranteed Year

Small Forward: C

Depth Chart (Age, Remaining Years on Contract, Player Efficiency Rating)

1. Antawn Jamison (35, 1, 16.8 PER)
2. Omri Casspi (23, 3Q, 11.7 PER)
3. Christian Eyenga (22, 4T, 9.0 PER)
4. Alonzo Gee (24, 1^, 11.1 PER)
5. Joey Graham (29, 1^, 7.7 PER) 

Advice: As the depth chart shows, move Antawn Jamison to small forward and bring Casspi off the bench. Release Joey Graham and Alonzo Gee in order to give Christian Eyenga more minutes. 

Being Jamison’s final year of his contract, his production will need to be replaced the following year. The 2012 NBA draft should contain a number of small forwards that can be the star player to lead the team into the future. 

Harrison Barnes - North Carolina (Sophomore, Projected #1-5)
Michael Gilchrist - Kentucky (Freshman, Projected #5-10)
Quincy Miller - Baylor (Freshman, Projected #10-15)
James McAdoo - North Carolina (Freshman, Projected #5-10)

^ - Includes Non-Guaranteed Year
Q - Includes a Qualifying Offer where a player who accepts the qualifying offer from the team will become an unrestricted free agent the following year.  Otherwise, they are treated as a restricted free agent.
T - Includes Team Option Year 

Power Forward: B-

Depth Chart (Age, Remaining Years on Contract, Player Efficiency Rating)

1. Tristan Thompson (20, 4^, TBD)
2. Samardo Samuels (22, 1, 11.7 PER)
3. Luke Harangody (23, 1, 11.0 PER) 

Advice: Starting Tristan Thompson at power forward will give the Cavs a wealth of information to decide if Thompson will be the power forward of the future. 

Depth will be a concern if Jamison plays small forward, so an under the radar free agent should be considered. The following free agents would make sense for the Cavs because they are, 1) Under the age of 25, and 2) have a Player Efficiency Rating greater than 15. 

Thaddeus Young - Philadelphia 76ers (23, Restricted, 18.4 PER)
Josh McRoberts - Indiana Pacers (24, Unrestricted, 16.0 PER)
Brandon Wright - New Jersey Nets (23, Unrestricted 15.9 PER) 

If the right deal can’t be found, there will be power forwards available in the 2012 NBA draft: 

Anthony Davis - Kentucky (Freshman, Projected #1-5)
Jared Sullinger - Ohio State (Sophomore, Project #5-10)
Perry Jones - Baylor (Sophomore, Projected #5-10)

^ - Estimated Rookie Contract Length

Center: C+

Depth Chart (Age, Remaining Years on Contract, Player Efficiency Rating)

1. Anderson Varejao (28, 4T, 15.2 PER)
2. Ryan Hollins (26, 1, 10.7 PER)
3. Semih Erden (24, 1, 6.2 PER) 

Advice: Nene Hilario is an attractive free agent, but will most likely be overpriced. The Cavs should avoid making adjustments at center, hope that Varejao will stay healthy and focus on the development of Semih Erden.

T - Includes Team Option Year

What's Most Important?

The Cavs will need to act fast if there is a 2011-2012 season. Shooting guard and small forward are the two biggest weaknesses, while the depth at power forward has shrunk considerably. 

Most importantly, the Cavs need to balance winning now with building for the future. Avoiding free agents and trading away Jamison, Davis, Varejao or Gibson could result in drafting the NBA's next superstar.