Pistons Could Be Team To Monitor For Cavs’ Isaac Okoro

June 30, 2024

It remains to be seen what will become of guard/forward Isaac Okoro after the Cavaliers issued him a qualifying offer. That will make Okoro a restricted free agent, enabling the Cavs to match outside overtures.

And those outside offers coach come. Okoro has already been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs. Hoops Wire sources have said the Washington Wizards are also interested.

Well, we can now add the Detroit Pistons to the list, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. The Pistons, of course, just hired J.B. Bickerstaff as coach. This after he was fired following five-and-a-half seasons in Cleveland.

As for the Cavs, Okoro’s return appears fairly uncertain. Fedor has plenty more on this topic in a subscription piece.

“Sources say the Detroit Pistons, with a plethora of cap space and former Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff now aboard, are a team to watch,” Fedor wrote. “Okoro’s playoff-specific flaws wouldn’t be as cumbersome in a rebuilding organization and his toughness, competitiveness, tenacity and defense-first credo would all help Bickerstaff instill the culture he wants in Detroit, giving the Pistons an edgy wing with some untapped offensive potential.”

Many around the NBA believe Okoro has reached his potential as a scorer with the Cavs — mostly because the Cavs don’t need him to score with the likes of Donovan Mitchell (presumably), Darius Garland (ditto), Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Max Strus already on the roster. That could be different in Detroit.

“If Detroit offered Okoro an annual salary north of the non-taxpayer midlevel exception, which is around $13 million per year, Cleveland would likely be iffy about that kind of financial commitment, especially with their current salary cap structure and an understanding that the roster will be even pricier moving forward,” Fedor wrote.

Okoro, 23, was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and is coming off a career season in which he averaged 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.8 steals, shooting 49.0% from the field and a career-high 39.1% on 3-pointers. He is widely considered the Cavs’ best wing defender. He earned $8.9 million last season.