Cleveland Cavaliers Urged To Add Intriguing Young Forward

The Cleveland Cavaliers may be wise to add this interesting young forward to their roster.

Apr 3, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Jalen McDaniels (2) looks on during the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers did not make any moves via trade or free agency during the offseason, so outside of first-round pick Jaylon Tyson, they are essentially running it back with the same roster.

However, there is still a chance for the Cavaliers to improve along the way.

One such opportunity arose recently, when the San Antonio Spurs waived forward Jalen McDaniels after acquiring him as part of a trade.

Caleb Crowley of King James Gospel thinks that McDaniels would be a perfect fit for a Cleveland.

"With his up-and-down career thus far, it is no surprise that McDaniels is far from a perfect player," Crowley wrote. "What makes him perfect for the Cavs, however, is not his skill but this situation."

Actually, McDaniels' skillset is pretty ideal for the Cavaliers.

One of Cleveland's biggest needs is a long, athletic wing who can guard some of the bigger wings int the Eastern Conference. At 6-foot-9 and with solid defensive chops, McDaniels fits that profile.

Clearly, there is a reason why McDaniels has bounced around so much. He is far from a star, and he averaged just 10.8 minutes per game on a rebuilding Toronto Raptors squad last season.

However, the 26-year-old is just two years removed from registering 9.4 points and 4.3 rebounds over 23.9 minutes per game on 45.5/33.2/84.1 shooting splits.

While McDaniels has not exactly been a beacon of consistency since entering the NBA as a second-round pick back in 2019, he has demonstrated glimmers of potential, and for a Cavs team in need of some help on the wing (and off the bench in general), it may be wise for the club to take a flier on McDaniels.