Former NBA Exec Assumes Cavaliers ‘Will Eventually Sign Another Player Or Three’

Former NBA exec John Hollinger assumes the Cleveland Cavaliers will “eventually sign another player or three.”

The Cavaliers only have two new players, JT Thor and Jaylon Tyson.

“I’m also assuming the Cleveland Cavaliers will eventually sign another player or three and fill out their roster,” Hollinger wrote in The Athletic. 

The Cavaliers signed Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley to extensions this offseason. They also declined all trade offers for Darius Garland. 

JB Bickerstaff was fired as head coach and replaced by Kenny Atkinson, who signed a five-year deal. 

We’ll see what happens with Isaac Okoro, who is still a restricted free agent. Okoro’s qualifying offer is worth $11.8 million. He would become an unrestricted free agent next offseason if he signed the qualifying offer with the Cavaliers. 

As a restricted free agent, Okoro can either re-sign with the Cavaliers or sign an offer sheet with another team. Cleveland would have 48 hours to match an offer sheet for Okoro, who drew interest from the Brooklyn Nets before talks with the Cavaliers fizzled.

Okoro appeared in 69 games for the Cavaliers in 2023-24. He averaged 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks while shooting 49.0% from the field, 39.1% from beyond the arc and 67.9% from the free-throw line. 

The Cavaliers drafted Okoro with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft out of Auburn. He has career averages of 8.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.4 blocks in 279 games. 

According to NBA reporter Evan Dammarell of ClutchPoints, it appears Okoro may have to sign his qualifying offer with the Cavaliers and bet on himself, although the Cavaliers could trade the wing in a sign-and-trade deal, sources told Sam Amico of Hoops Wire. 

“It appears that, for now, all options for Okoro in restricted free agency have been exhausted,” Dammarell reported. “With that in mind, sources across the league have expressed to ClutchPoints that Okoro will pick up his $11.8 million qualifying offer from Cleveland. From there, Okoro is more or less betting on himself next season, which could be his last with the Cavs.”

The Cavaliers went 48-34 last season. They defeated the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs in seven games and lost to the Boston Celtics in the second round in five games.