Cavaliers Trade Isaac Okoro For Versatile Piece In This Proposal

Could the Cavaliers trade Isaac Okoro in a deal to land them the versatile defensive forward that they so desperately need?

Mar 10, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith (28) blocks a shot by Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers haven't done much of anything to improve the roster this offseason, and perhaps the only way they can truly make a move is by trading Isaac Okoro in a sign-and-trade deal.

Okoro is a restricted free agent and hasn't exactly drawn a ton of interest on the open market. The Cavaliers can match any offer the wing receives, but there have also been rumblings that they are exploring the trade market for him.

Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley sees a potential avenue for Cleveland, suggesting that the team send Okoro to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith.

Finney-Smith has previously been mentioned as a potential target for the Cavs, as has fellow Nets forward Cam Johnson.

But would swapping Okoro for Finney-Smith move the need a whole lot for the Cavaliers?

Well, one thing Cleveland really needs is someone to effectively guard the bigger wings in the Eastern Conference, such as Jayson Tatum and now Paul George. Okoro is a tenacious defender, but at 6-foot-5, his defensive versatility is fairly limited.

Finney-Smith, on the other hand, stands 6-foot-8 and absolutely has the capability to defend multiple positions. As a matter of fact, Brooklyn was 2.3 points better per 100 possessions defensively when Finney-Smith was on the floor this past season.

Of course, there are some downsides to Finney-Smith's game. He doesn't offer a whole lot in the way of offense and is coming off of a 2023-24 campaign in which he averaged 8.4 points per game on meager 42.1/34.8/71.7 shooting splits. The year prior, he logged 8.3 points per game while shooting just 39.1 percent from the field and 33.7 percent from long distance.

It should be noted, though, that Finney-Smith did manage to connect on just under 40 percent of his long-range attempts with the Dallas Mavericks during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons, so perhaps a change of scenery will do Finney-Smith some good. Plus, being flanked by Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland could open him up for better looks that he hasn't been getting in Brooklyn.

The Cavs need to do something this offseason. Yes, they extended Donovan Mitchell and hired Kenny Atkinson as their new head coach, which are obviously both significant moves, but they haven't actually bolstered their roster.

Due to financial constraints, the Cavaliers have run into considerable issues trying to make some roster tweaks, so they may not be able to do anything drastic. However, if they are able to send out Okoro and recoup Finney-Smith in return, it may be wise for them to pull the trigger.

Cleveland needs to shake up its depth chart somehow. This could be the easiest, most feasible way for the club to do so.