Report: Cavs Targeting ‘Younger Veterans’ in Free Agency

Amid all the chaos surrounding this year’s NBA free-agency period, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been one team that’s stayed quiet.

However, the lack of activity on their part doesn’t mean that they’re not looking at potential players, with one new report indicating that young veterans are their targets.

Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net reported that the Cavaliers are looking at players who weren’t immediately scooped up in the hours and days after free agency began:

“With most of the top free agents off the board, Altman and the Cavs are eyeing the list of younger veterans who are still looking for a team. They could sign one or two within the next month or so to minimum or non-guaranteed deals. Right now, they are still trying to trade the contract of J.R. Smith. They still have a few weeks before his contract becomes fully guaranteed.”

In the days leading up to free agency, the Cavaliers were in danger of losing the bargaining chip of trading Smith’s contract. That changed when they agreed to pay him an additional $500,000 on the guaranteed portion of his contract in order to extend their deadline another month.

There’s no indication which players the Cavaliers might be looking at, but following a disastrous 19-63 campaign, any sort of upgrade would be welcome. The Cavaliers’ rebuilding began in earnest during the early portion of the 2018-19 campaign and continued through last month’s draft, when they made three first-round selections, including top pick Darius Garland.