The Cavaliers are among the teams with an interest in former Rockets center Chinanu Onuaku, the reigning MVP of the Israeli league.
In fact, per Marc Stein of The Stein Line, the Cavs have displayed the “most serious interest” of anyone.
Along with the Cavs, the Celtics, Mavericks and Raptors are in pursuit, as each of those teams is bringing in Onuaku for an audition, Stein wrote. Meanwhile, the Cavs traveled to Israel and have already met with Onuaku.
Onuaku, 25, is 6-foot-11 and has been playing in the Israel Basketball Premier League title with Bnei Herzliya. As Barkas noted, traditional Israeli power Maccabi Tel Aviv also has Onuaka radar.
He was originally selected by the Rockets in the 2016 draft (No. 37 overall), and spent the first two seasons of his career in Houston. He was traded to the Mavericks in August 2018 and waived four days later.
Since then, he has played in the G League or Israel, with stops in Korea and Croatia. Without a doubt, the Cavs, Celtics, Raptors and Mavs are all looking for help in reserve in the frontcourt, particularly when it comes to the center position.
Onuaku has averaged 15.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.3 blocks in 29 games with Bnei Herzliya. He has appeared in just six NBA games for his career. But a few years of international experience, clearly, has him in the mix for an NBA job.
“He averaged 15.7 points and 9.7 rebounds during the Winner League regular season and 17.4 points and 11.9 rebounds in the playoffs, leading Herzliya to an upset over Maccabi Tel Aviv in the semifinals,” Stein wrote.
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