Nets, Hornets Expressed Interest In Isaac Okoro Sign-And-Trade With Cavs

Guard/forward Isaac Okoro is returning to the Cavaliers on a three-year contract, agreeing to a reported $38 million deal a few weeks before training camp. Before that, the Brooklyn Nets and Charlotte Hornets were among the teams that expressed interest in an Okoro sign-and-trade, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

The Detroit Pistons also at least explored the idea as well, sources told Hoops Wire. The Pistons hired former Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff this offseason. 

All but a reported $5 million of Okoro’s deal guaranteed. He joins a reserve cast of wings that also includes Caris LeVert, Sam Merrill, rookie Jaylon Tyson and even big man Dean Wade, who plays more of a small forward role.

As for the Nets, it’s no secret they’ve been looking to move forward Dorian Finney-Smith, as well as perhaps forward Cam Johnson and point guard Dennis Schroder. New Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson is the former coach of the Nets.

Okoro appeared in 69 games for the Cavaliers last season, averaging 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks, shooting 49.0% from the field, 39.1% on 3-pointers and 67.9% from the free-throw line. 

He was selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft out of Auburn and carries career averages of 8.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.4 blocks in 279 games. 

The Cavaliers remain one of just three teams to have not signed an outside free agent to a standard contract, clearly content with trying to run it back.

NBA writer Dan Favale of Bleacher Report urged Cleveland to re-sign Okoro in August. 

“Enough teams still have their non-taxpayer mid-level exception available that we don’t have to keep Okoro with the Cavaliers. (The Detroit Pistons also have cap space, for what it’s worth.) But the fit between these two parties continues to make sense,” Favale wrote. “This fit isn’t as right-on come playoff time. Okoro has shown he can drill wide-open threes in the regular season (38.8 percent last year; 39.7 percent after Jan. 1). But defenses still treat him as a non-threat, his efficiency has yet to translate into best-of-seven settings, and Cleveland doesn’t have the pecking-order flexibility to increase his on-ball possessions.

“That renders Okoro less valuable to the Cavs. It doesn’t make him entirely dispensable. Eating up significant regular-season minutes matters. More than that, Cleveland doesn’t have someone who can readily replace what Okoro does on defense against rival 1s and 2s— unless it’s that confident in rookie Jaylon Tyson.”

(Ashish Mathur contributed to this report.)