Cavaliers Extend Qualifying Offers To Two Key Free Agents

The Cavaliers are making an effort to keep both Isaac Okoro and Emoni Bates.

May 7, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) grimaces after missing a shot against the Boston Celtics during the second quarter of game one of the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports / Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers have extended qualifying offers to both Isaac Okoro and Emoni Bates, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.

This will make Okoro and Bates restricted free agents, giving the Cavaliers the opportunity to match any offer either player receives.

Okoro's qualifying offer is set at $11.8 million.

Okoro is absolutely the more important player of the two at the current point in time.

While Bates was a huge name when he was in high school, he did not materialize on the collegiate level and has yet to make much of an impact in Cleveland. However, he is still just 20 years old, so the Cavs would probably like to retain him based on potential alone.

But it's Okoro that the Cavaliers will likely focus on keeping.

While the 23-year-old has not lived up to his draft position (Cleveland took him fifth overall in 2020), he has become a rather integral member of the Cavs' rotation.

Okoro played in 69 games and made 42 starts during the 2023-24 campaign, averaging 9.4 points and three rebounds over 27.3 minutes per game while shooting 49 percent from the floor, 39.1 percent from three-point range and 67.9 percent from the free-throw line.

The 6-foot-5 wing is also one of the Cavaliers' best defensive players, so he possesses value on both ends of the floor.

Okoro owns career averages of 8.5 points and 2.9 boards across 27.6 minutes a night on 46.7/34.7/73.2 shooting splits.

The Auburn product has shown noticeable improvement as a perimeter shooter over the past couple of seasons and will surely be a very sought-after player on the open market.

Meanwhile, Bates, a 6-foot-10 forward who was taken by Cleveland in the second round of the NBA Draft last summer, appeared in just 15 contests this season, logging 2.7 points per game. He was a on a two-way contract with the Cavs and spent considerable time with the Cleveland Charge, the team's G-League affiliate.