Cleveland Cavaliers 2012 Offseason: Optimism in Free Agency & Draft

The Cleveland Cavaliers playoff chances have dwindled in the past month as the loss of Anderson Varejao proved to be too much to overcome. 

The Cavaliers were not expected to contend this season or even be as competitive as they have been, and a lot of that success is due to the quick development of the 19 year old first overall pick, Kyrie Irving.

The foundation of this roster has been built through the draft and that trend seems likely to continue. The Cavs will have four picks in the top 40 in June's NBA draft. In a deep draft the Cavaliers could add two starters and two key role players in one fell swoop.

The roster looks bare today but will improve with free agency and the draft in the coming months.

Draft Class

This brings us to the NBA Draft. Unlike the NFL, the NBA draft is held before free agency occurs.

The Cavs projected picks as of today (with every loss the pick improves) are as follows: 8, 25, 33, and 38.

This will allow the Cavaliers to add a dominant scorer to pair with Irving in the back court and add some much needed depth to the front court.

8-Bradley Beal (SG, Florida)

A dominant scorer who has the ability to take games over. Plays with great length and competiveness. Has the potential to be an NBA star.

25-Tony Wronten (PG/SG, Washington)

A combo guard similar to Ramon Sessions. Handles the ball well, looks for open teammates and creates his own shot.

33-Festus Ezeli (C, Vanderbilt)

A shot blocking machine and legitimate 7'0 tall. A true center, which is desperately needed for this team. Has ability to score and is still improving.

38-James McAdoo/Deshaun Thomas Jr. (SF, North Carolina/Ohio State)

Both may be available and the Cavs need a small forward. Both possess similar skill sets and have shown the ability to take over games. Thomas was able to show his skills more often than McAdoo due to greater playing time but both should end up being quality starters in the NBA. McAdoo has a much higher potential than Thomas but it is unsure if he will enter the draft this year. 

Current Players

The current players who are under contract with the Cavaliers next season are:

Kyrie Irving (PG)

Tristan Thompson (PF)

Omri Casspi (SF)

Luke Walton (SF)

Anderson Varejao (PF/C)

Daniel Gibson (SG)

Of these players, Irving and Varejao appear to be the only players worthy of starting on a quality team right now.

Tristan Thompson, picked fourth overall last season, is developing and has shown flashes of great play he is not there yet. A full offseason should elevate his game and could possibly make him the starting power forward next season.

Casspi, Gibson and Walton are quality players to have on the bench with scoring and hustle potential. Although defense is lacking from these players, all are expected to contribute.

Free Agency

The Cavaliers have proved they would rather build through the draft than signing marquee free agents like Deron Williams or Dwight Howard.

But the Cavs also understand the value of adding quality veteran role players to the roster. 

With a large and talented free agency class the Cavs should look to add a player or two in the front and back court to provide stability. 

Two players that the Cavs should look to are veteran PF Carl Landry and PG Kirk Hinrich.

Both provide a veteran presence missing from this roster and have the ability to be the first off the bench or even start in Landry's case if Thompson is not fully developed. 

Landry has a similar game to Thompson and could be a great mentor. Hinrich is a great back up point guard for Irving and adds winning experience to the team.

2012-2013 Roster

With these acquisitions the Cavaliers would have a formidable lineup for the next 3 to 5 seasons. A mix of young and veteran players under contract provides stability and room for growth. 

After LeBron took his talents to south beach the Cavs have been in rebuilding mode and this is how rebuilding a championship contender is done.

Guards: Kyrie Irving, Bradley Beal, Daniel Gibson, Tony Wronten, Kirk Hinrich, 

Forwards: James McAdoo/Deshaun Thomas, Carl Landry, Luke Walton, Omri Casspi

Center: Anderson Varejao, Festus Ezeli, Tristan Thompson

The Cavaliers lineup would be as follows:

Starting Lineup:

PG: Kyrie Irving
SG: Bradley Beal
SF: James McAdoo
PF: Tristan Thompson
  C: Anderson Varejao

Bench: Carl Landry, Tony Wronten, Festus Ezeli, Kirk Hinrich, Omri Casspi, Daniel Gibson, Luke Walton 

This roster may not compete for an NBA Championship next season against the Heat, Bulls, Thunder or Lakers but it will develop into a quality team capable of making a championship run in the next two or three seasons. 

The NBA season is not officially over but for the Cavaliers the focus is on the offseason and the 2012-13 campaign.