Cavaliers Could Lose Top Free Agent To This Western Conference Team

The Cleveland Cavaliers could potentially see Isaac Okoro sign with this Western Conference ballclub in free agency.

Dec 19, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen (23) drives against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) in the third quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been very quiet in NBA free agency. In fact, they have not signed a single free agent.

There appears to be only one domino on the board for the Cavaliers: Isaac Okoro.

Cleveland tended a qualifying offer to Okoro, making him a restricted free agent. That means the Cavs can match any offer made to the young wing.

The problem for Okoro is that he hasn't exactly generated a lot of interest on the open market.

However, Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey sees a potential landing spot for Okoro: the Utah Jazz.

Bailey notes that the Jazz could use a young swingman like Okoro, who would fit the team's rebuilding timeline and wouldn't cost too much.

There have been rumors that the Cavaliers have been exploring sign-and-trade possibilities for Okoro, but clearly, Cleveland hasn't really been able to gain any serious steam in trade talks.

While Okoro certainly offers some value as a tenacious perimeter defender, he has been an overall disappointment since being selected by the Cavs with the fifth overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft.

The 23-year-old has yet to average double figures in four NBA seasons, most recently logging 9.4 points per game on 49.0/39.1/67.9 shooting splits during the 2023-24 campaign. Okoro also put forth a miserable playoff showing this past spring, posting 5.5 points per game while registering a meager true-shooting percentage of 44.6 percent in 12 games.

The Cavaliers could certainly use a larger wing to defend some of the bigger swingmen in the Eastern Conference, and at 6-foot-5, Okoro doesn't really provide that.

As a result, Brooklyn Nets forwards Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith have been mentioned as potential trade targets for Cleveland, although nothing concrete has developed along that front.

We'll see what becomes of the situation between Okoro and the Cavs as the summer progresses.