The Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly could move on from forward Cedi Osman this offseason after head coach J.B. Bickerstaff seemingly lost a bit of trust in him toward the end of last season.
According to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, Osman could become expendable if the team brings back restricted free agent Collin Sexton. Fedor answered a question from a fan regarding Osman’s status on the roster.
“I have my doubts,” Fedor wrote. “Not only did it become clear at the end of the season that Bickerstaff was losing trust in Osman, but also keeping Sexton would necessitate a roster move. Any deal with Sexton — signing the qualifying offer by Oct. 1 or agreeing to a multi-year pact — puts the Cavs at 16 players, one above the maximum.”
Osman is under contract with the Cavs through the 2023-24 season, but it doesn’t seem like he’s a part of the team’s long-term plans.
Last season, Osman appeared in 66 games for the Cavs and made three starts. He averaged 10.7 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 43.2 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from beyond the arc.
Osman will have a ton of competition for minutes even if he does stay in Cleveland, as the Cavs drafted Ochai Agbaji in the first round in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Between Agbaji, Caris LeVert and Isaac Okoro, there may not be enough minutes to go around for Osman to crack the rotation. Osman has been with the Cavs since the 2017-18 season.
He has appeared in 327 games for the franchise and made 181 starts while averaging 10.0 points in 24.5 minutes per game.
It will be interesting to see how Sexton’s situation could potentially change Osman’s future.
