Former lottery pick Isaac Okoro is still a restricted free agent this offseason, but there are plenty of reasons for the Cleveland Cavaliers to bring him back to the roster for the 2024-25 season.
Even though Cleveland added a forward in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft in Jaylon Tyson, Okoro would be a solid depth piece that could still contribute to the roster after some of the improvements he’s made to his game.
The Cavs invested heavily in Okoro, taking him with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Since he is a restricted free agent, the Cavs could match any offer he signs this offseason, and they reportedly made multiple reasonable offers to Okoro.
While Okoro may not get a massive payday this offseason, Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor reported that the Cavs want him back at the right price.
Both sides may need to be willing to give in a little to make a deal happen, but it would be in the Cavs’ best interest to have Okoro on the roster entering the 2024-25 season.
1. Defense and depth
The Cavs have some solid players that can fit alongside Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell in their rotation, including Max Strus, Caris LeVert, Dean Wade and Tyson.
However, Okoro may be the best perimeter defender of the group given his size and length on the wing. Last season, Okoro averaged 0.8 steals, 0.5 blocks and recorded 2.0 defensive win shares for the Cavs.
Isaac Okoro is probably the best Dunn substitute left on the market.
At 23 years old, he showed the ability to be a solid 3&D swingman during the regular season. Utah could also force the Cavs to either lose their best POA defender or push them into the luxury if they match. pic.twitter.com/tgGbsgIH34
— Kato Parina (@KatoParinaSLC) July 28, 2024
Since Mitchell and Garland are smaller guards, Okoro is a solid fit next to them since he can be called upon to guard the opposing team’s best perimeter player if needed. The Cavs have relied on him a lot in the rotation over his first four seasons with the team, as he’s started 216 of the 279 games he’s appeared in.
Keeping Okoro would also give the Cavs some depth on the wing in case a player is injured in the 2024-25 season. Wade missed a lot of time in the 2023-24 campaign, and it’s unclear how quickly Tyson will be able to adjust to be a proven rotation piece at the NBA level.
So, having Okoro gives the Cavs some insurance on the wing.
2. 3-pointer trending up
One of the biggest changes to Okoro’s game has been his 3-point shot.
As a rookie, the former lottery pick shot just 29.0 percent from 3-point range, but he’s steadily improved every season since then.
Okoro’s best 3-point shooting season – by far – was in the 2023-24 campaign when he shot 39.1 percent from 3 on 3.1 attempts per game. If he can keep shooting the 3-ball at that rate, Okoro perfectly fits the 3-and-D prototype that so many NBA teams covet.
After spending four years helping Okoro develop his shot, the Cavs should want to cash in on the benefit with him coming off a career year.
3. Future trade piece if necessary
The Cavs have locked up Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen to extensions this offseason and guard Darius Garland is on a long-term deal that runs through the 2027-28 season.
If the Cavs eventually want to tweak some pieces on their roster or make a trade for an impact player, they may not want to give up one of their core four pieces.
So, they’ll need other players that have value that are tradable to make the salaries match in a potential deal.
A young 3-and-D wing like Okoro could be a solid trade chip for several teams, and even if he isn’t the primary piece in a deal, he could be used to help the Cavs match salary.
While this reason to keep Okoro isn’t as much of a basketball reason, it doesn’t make sense for the Cavs to potentially risk losing him for nothing if he signs elsewhere this offseason and they decide not to match his offer sheet.
Ultimately, the Cavs have locked themselves into a solid core that has made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. By keeping Okoro, the Cavs would be giving themselves another option in the rotation to match up with some of the star wings (Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Paul George, Khris Middleton, Paolo Banchero and others) in the Eastern Conference.
