3 Biggest Roster Needs For Cleveland Cavaliers After Free Agency

The Cleveland Cavaliers still have some major needs as we get deeper into the NBA offseason.

Apr 12, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) and guard Darius Garland (10) talk in the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers had a quiet free agency period. Very quiet, actually.

The Cavaliers did not sign a single free agent, and while there is still plenty of offseason remaining for them to do so, all of the true impact players are already off the market.

Cleveland still has a decision to make on Isaac Okoro, who is a restricted free agent and has generated very little interest on the open market. The Cavs could attempt to sign-and-trade Okoro, but if all else fails, he can simply return to the team on his $11.8 million qualifying offer.

The Cavaliers did make a couple of big in-house moves, extending both Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley. Those are significant moves, no doubt, but they still don't address Cleveland's obvious roster issues heading into the 2024-25 NBA campaign.

Perhaps bringing in new head coach Kenny Atkinson will help bring the best out of the Cavs' current group, but they still need to infuse more talent into their rotation.

Let's break down the three biggest needs for the Cavaliers after free agency.

Big defensive wing

One of the biggest problems for Cleveland is its lack of size in the backcourt.

Mitchell is 6-foot-3. Darius Garland is just 6-foot-1. Then there is small forward Max Strus, who stands a modest 6-foot-5. Okoro is also 6-foot-5.

That simply isn't going to cut it against the bigger Eastern Conference wings like Jayson Tatum and Paul George, particularly in a seven-game playoff series.

The Cavs did select 6-foot-7 swingman Jaylon Tyson in the NBA Draft, so he should definitely provide some help on that front, but relying on a rookie is always a gamble.

The Cavaliers need to add another long, defensive piece who can effectively guard multiple positions, especially between the 3 and the 4. They have been rumored to be interested in Brooklyn Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith, who represents a potential return in an Okoro sign-and-trade. However, nothing concrete seems to have formed along that front.

Cleveland really needs to make a move here in order to bolster its defense, or else some major problems could ensue.

Another wing creator

In a perfect world, the Cavaliers would kill two birds with one stone by landing a wing who can both score and defend, but at this stage of the offseason, that may be a difficult proposition.

But hey, this is a piece about roster needs, and Cleveland needs both of these things.

There's a reason why the Cavaliers were rumored to be interested in Brandon Ingram earlier this offseason. Outside of Mitchell and Garland, they don't really have anyone who can create their own shot on a regular basis.

This is also why Cleveland added Marcus Morris midway through this past season. For all of Morris' faults, he is someone who can get his own shot pretty regularly. As a matter of fact, it may not necessarily be a bad idea to bring Morris back in to the fold.

Nevertheless, the Cavs absolutely need a tertiary scoring option. Heck, even up front, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley are not shot creators.

The Cavaliers ranked just 20th in the NBA in offensive efficiency in 2023-24. Injuries certainly played a role in that, as they placed 11th the year prior, but the fact of the matter is that Cleveland is not a very good offensive ballclub. A lack of reliable scoring options beyond Mitchell and Garland is a big reason why.

A big man who can space the floor

The reason why there was rampant speculation earlier in the offseason that the Cavs could trade Allen was because they don't have much floor spacing up front.

The Allen-Mobley tandem is certainly talented, but it isn't exactly the best fit stylistically.

Mobley did seem to be improving his perimeter shot as the 2023-24 campaign progressed, but he isn't exactly Sam Perkins or Clifford Robinson from out there.

Not saying that he has to be, but the Cavaliers do need a big man who can keep defenses honest and stretch the court for Mitchell and Garland. Neither Allen nor Mobley are doing that.

The closest thing Cleveland has to that is Dean Wade, who, even at 6-foot-9, isn't your prototypical big man.

Someone like Kelly Olynyk, for instance, would represent a terrific target for the Cavs. Keep in mind: the Toronto Raptors have shown no indication that they will be trading Olynyk. Not right now, anyway. I'm just citing him as an example of what the Cavaliers should be looking for.