4. Gary Neal
The fact that Gary Neal does not have an NBA contract at this point is somewhat absurd. Neal is a highly-talented player who has shown flashes of brilliance in his time in the NBA.
There have been rumors circulating the NBA that Neal is a bad teammate and that is why he has not received a new contract. Those reports have indicated that Neal has grown resentful of several teammates who make more money than him while not performing as well.
As Neal has sat around this summer and watched other players receive massive contracts, hopefully it has humbled him to the point that he will no longer be so outspoken with his opinions about other players.
If Smith decides not to return to the Cavs, Neal would be a solid option as a replacement player. Neal has been a dynamite 3-point shooter in his career, shooting 38.3 percent from behind the arc and reaching 41.0 percent last season.
The 6’4″ guard has become a better defensive player throughout his career as well, and if entered into the starting lineup, his statistics would see an obvious bump.
Neal and Smith are extremely similar players, including the off-court controversies.
But just as Smith showed, the Cavs can take on a player like Neal and still completely thrive. And just like the Cavs’ clubhouse did not tolerate any bad behavior with Smith, they would not tolerate any locker room issues from Neal either.
Next: Kevin Martin
