5 Under-the-Radar Free Agents Cavaliers Should Target This Offseason
While the Cleveland Cavaliers won't have any traditional cap space to use on the free-agent market this summer, they can still lock down some veterans for the right price.
The Cavs will have the taxpayer mid-level exception of $5,192,000 to use on free agents (via Basketball Insiders) and can offer veteran minimum deals as well.
Team needs are plenty clear. Whomever succeeds David Griffin as general manager need only ask one question: Will signing this player help us beat the Golden State Warriors?
With Deron Williams coming off a brutal NBA Finals performance and set to become an unrestricted free agent, it's likely that the Cavs will look elsewhere for a backup point guard behind Kyrie Irving. Wing defenders are always a necessity against Golden State, and a true rim protector wouldn't hurt, either.
If and when the Cavs decide on a new general manager, these are five realistic targets to chase.
Sergio Rodriguez, PG, Philadelphia 76ers
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FA Type: Unrestricted
Age: 31
Think of Sergio Rodriguez as an older, cheaper version of Ricky Rubio.
Neither are strong outside shooters but make up for it with a slick passing game and the ability to get to the rim.
Rodriguez started 30 of the Sixers' first 35 games last season, proving he belonged back in the NBA after a six-year hiatus. As a starter, he put up 9.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.0 steal in 27.4 minutes while shooting 37.0 percent from deep. He finished 10th in the NBA in assists per 48 minutes (10.9, via ESPN.com), just behind LeBron James (11.1).
Cleveland can't go into the regular season with no reliable backup behind Irving again. This puts way too much pressure on James and Irving to create for others and forces their minutes up—the last thing head coach Tyronn Lue should want to do after three straight Finals trips (and seven for James).
Adding a pass-first veteran like Rodriguez would fit in well with Cleveland's collection of shooters, and buy enough minutes to keep James and Irving fresh.
With the wealth of point guards on the market, a vet's minimum should be enough to acquire his services.
P.J. Tucker, SF, Toronto Raptors
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FA Type: Unrestricted
Age: 32
The Cavs originally tried to trade for P.J. Tucker back in February before the six-year veteran was shipped from the Phoenix Suns to Toronto Raptors.
Head coach Tyronn Lue is a fan of Tucker and what he brings to a team's mentality.
"Toughness. Defense," Lue said when the Cavs and Raptors met during the second round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. "He can guard multiple positions and [is] a great offensive rebounder when he crashes from the corner. I just think the biggest thing is he adds toughness and defense to that team."
A gritty wing defender like Tucker would be a great weapon to bring off the bench against Golden State, and his outside shooting improved as the season went along. After the trade to Toronto, Tucker connected on 40.0 percent of his three-pointers, attempting 2.5 a game.
The Raptors' defensive rating improved by 10.0 points with him on the court during the postseason, even though he was asked to guard players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James.
Cleveland lacks physical defenders, and using part or all of their mid-level exception on Tucker would be a great start.
Andrew Bogut, C, Cleveland Cavaliers
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FA Type: Unrestricted
Age: 32
Oh, what could have been...
Andrew Bogut's tenure with the Cavs this season lasted exactly 58 seconds before fracturing his left tibia and ultimately being released by the team.
Why not try again?
After all, Cleveland could still use a proven, rim-protecting center behind Tristan Thompson. You know, besides Edy Tavares. Bogut clearly likes the Cavs, choosing to sign with them over other contenders after he was released by the Philadelphia 76ers following a February trade from the Dallas Mavericks.
As for the tibia, the Cavs announced in the days following the injury that Bogut wouldn't even need surgery, and that he would be ready for the start of training camp.
Adding a physical, shot-blocking big man to set a defensive tone with the second unit would be a great pickup for Cleveland no matter if it costs the veteran's minimum or more.
Michael Beasley, F, Milwaukee Bucks
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FA Type: Unrestricted
Age: 28
Beasley has slowly molded himself back into a serviceable NBA player. With LeBron James' guidance, he could be one of the team's best reserves.
The former No. 2 overall pick of the 2008 NBA draft, Beasley can play either forward position at 6'9" and is a natural scorer from all areas of the court.
Among reserves last season, Beasley ranked fifth in scoring with 20.1 points per 36 minutes of play. In just 16.7 minutes per game off the Bucks' bench, he put up 9.4 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting career-bests from the field (53.2 percent) and on three-pointers (41.9 percent).
Cleveland's bench contributed just 29.1 points per game last season, third-worst in the NBA. Beasley would provide a nice scoring option when the Big 3 (whoever that may be) needs a breather.
With such a deep free-agent class, playing the waiting game and offering the vet's minimum may be enough to entice Beasley to join a championship-caliber team.
Shaun Livingston, PG, Golden State Warriors
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FA Type: Unrestricted
Age: 31
The Cavs just need to shoot their shot here.
A former Cavalier from the dark days of 2010-2014, Shaun Livingston has become one of the league's best backup point guards playing in the Warriors system.
With an unstoppable mid-range game and strong defensive prowess, Livingston is the type of player you need when actually playing against the Warriors.
If he wants to return to Golden State and the money is right, the Dubs would be happy to have him. That's if he's OK waiting for a little while, of course. The Warriors have to get deals finalized with Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala first. That's a potential $80 million to $90 million in salary for 2017-18, alone.
Cleveland can offer the full mid-level of $5.2 million on opening night of free agency, with the promise of a bigger role than he was used to playing alongside four All-Stars.
Golden State does hold Livingston's bird rights, however, meaning it can go over the cap to sign him. It now falls on ownership to decide how far into the luxury tax they want to go, especially given the significant raises to Durant, Curry and Iguodala.
Solving your backup point guard problem while adding a solid perimeter defender and hurting your rival? Livingston should be priority No. 1 for the Cavaliers in free agency.
Greg Swartz is the Cleveland Cavaliers Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Stats via Basketball Reference and NBA.com.
