Free Agency or Draft: How Should Cleveland Cavs Fill Biggest Offseason Needs?
Regardless of when their postseason ends, the Cleveland Cavaliers will have some specific needs to fill this summer.
As good as Matthew Dellavedova has been at times, the Cavs could still use some additional depth behind Kyrie Irving. Finding a backup big who can serve as a stretch 4 with Kevin Love out is necessary as well, especially with James Jones set to hit free agency.
Outside of orchestrating a trade, Cleveland has two main, although limited, options with which to improve the team.
The Cavaliers hold two draft picks (Nos. 24 and 53 overall), marking their first selection outside of the lottery since 2010. In free agency, Cleveland is extremely limited in what it can spend. With a roster that could spike to over $100 million in total salary, the Cavs carry just mid-level ($3.38 million) and bi-annual exceptions ($2.1 million) that they can spend on free agents, per BasketballInsiders.com.
Here's how general manager David Griffin could address both areas and which one would ultimately best fill the Cavaliers' needs.
Draft Strategy
The obvious advantage to using the draft instead of free agency? The Cavs can select the player they want without having to negotiate a contract or bid against opposing teams.
This means no hassle, no worrying about the salary cap and no dealing with agents.
The 2015 draft class is fairly strong, all the way into the second round, with players who match what the Cavaliers are looking for. While late-round picks typically don't produce immediately like lottery selections can, we've seen a good amount of talent come out of the 20-30 range over the past five years.
This list includes Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls (No. 30, 2011); Kenneth Faried of the Denver Nuggets (No. 22, 2011); Jared Sullinger of the Boston Celtics (No. 21, 2012) and Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz (No. 27, 2013).
Finding the right player for the right system can pay big dividends quickly. Butler has become the Bulls' best overall player already, while Gobert is quickly turning into one of the NBA's premier defensive big men.
While the Cavs may not hit on a Butler or Gobert-like pick, they can still find good value deep. Players going in the first round are under team control for four years, five if extended a qualifying offer. Their rookie salaries are extremely team-friendly as well.
Even franchises like Cleveland that are built to win now must keep an eye on the future. Infusing some young talent in the form of draft picks is always a good idea, especially when cap space is nonexistent.
Draft Targets
The following three players could make contributions to the Cavs immediately and should fall around No. 24 overall.
Jarell Martin, PF, LSU
Martin is a 6'9" big in the mold of a Brandon Bass. He projects as a stretch 4 and solid jump-shooter at the NBA level.
Cleveland could use Martin as the new Jones, serving as a backup to Love. Although just 20 years of age, Martin could actually be an upgrade over Jones due to his size, defensive potential and natural ability at power forward.
Terry Rozier, PG, Louisville
Rozier is already a strong defender who excels at pushing the ball in transition.
A Northeast Ohio native, Rozier would provide Irving with a good defensive backup who carries more potential than Dellavedova. While Irving is locked up for the next five years, Dellavedova is set to become a restricted free agent this summer.
Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame
As far as matching need and talent, the Grant-Cavaliers connection is about as good as it gets.
Grant is a 22-year-old senior who brings excellent 6'4" size to the point guard position. He could spell Irving and James for stretches as a ball-handler and playmaker while allowing others to spot up for open shots.
Free Agency Strategy
Although signing a free agent is certainly trickier than simply making a draft selection, it does bring certain advantages.
Despite all the hours that scouts pour into studying prospects in college, the transition to NBA life can be rough for some players (-cough- Anthony Bennett -cough-).
There's a much better chance that a player who carries NBA experience will produce closer to expectations than an incoming rookie will. It's a far less risky path, as scouts have years and years of information at their disposal rather than a few months.
For the Cavaliers, this is definitely the safer option. A player like Rozier could be the next Eric Bledsoe or Sebastian Telfair. A veteran like Mo Williams, for instance, is going to be Mo Williams. Teams know what they're going to get.
Cleveland could use some more young talent, sure, but the ultimate goal is to win and win now. It's the reason they flipped Andrew Wiggins for Love and inked veterans Shawn Marion, Mike Miller and Jones last summer.
The Cavaliers don't need prospects to come in and develop into role players or stars some day; they need reliable pieces immediately.
Free Agency Targets
Working from the same needs for a backup point guard and stretch 4, these are three solid choices for the Cavs to pursue with their exceptions.
Aaron Brooks, PG, Chicago Bulls
Brooks enjoyed a nice year with the Bulls as Derrick Rose's backup, putting up 11.6 points and 3.2 assists in 23 minutes a game.
More of a shooter than a pure point guard, Brooks is a lifetime 37.1 percent marksman from deep. He'd find plenty of open opportunities while sharing the court with James and Irving.
Jonas Jerebko, PF, Boston Celtics
Following a trade from the Detroit Pistons, Jerebko quietly played a big reserve role for the Celtics.
The 28-year-old forward averaged 7.1 points and 4.8 rebounds in just 18.2 minutes while shooting 40.6 percent from three. His defense on James during Boston's first-round series against the Cavaliers was impressive as well.
Mo Williams, G, Charlotte Hornets
I'm going to go ahead and toot this horn right now.
Williams, 32, is still a very effective offensive guard and spot-up shooter who would thrive in a return to Cleveland. After being traded to the Hornets last season, Mo averaged 17.2 points and 6.0 assists.
While he's never been a great defender, Williams would give the Cavs a reliable veteran shooter and locker room presence. After playing for five teams in the past five years following a trade from Cleveland, a return to Northeast Ohio would be great for Williams and the Cavaliers.
Conclusion
When James announced his signing with the Cavs last summer, he didn't have a rebuilding project in mind.
James and the remodeled Cavaliers are built to win now, even if it means sacrificing part of their future. Draft picks are great and bring plenty of potential, but Cleveland needs to see results immediately.
There's a reason only one Cavs draft pick over the past three years (Joe Harris) is still on the team. All others were traded either to land Love or to create cap space in order to sign James.
Like Cleveland's 2015 postseason motto, this is a franchise that needs to be "All In" for a championship now. The Cavaliers would be wise not to rely on rookies and instead address their needs via free agency.
Greg Swartz has covered the Cleveland Cavaliers and NBA for Bleacher Report since 2010. All stats provided by Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
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