One Massive Challenge For Cavaliers After Re-Signing Isaac Okoro

Kenny Atkinson will have the difficult task of putting together the Cleveland Cavaliers rotation.

Oct 10, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) brings the ball up court in the third quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers are committed to keeping their core together, as they reportedly re-signed restricted free agent Isaac Okoro to a three-year, $38 million deal on Saturday afternoon.

Yes, it's great that the Cavs are bringing back one of the top defenders in the NBA on a fairly team-friendly deal. However, Okoro's return to Wine and Gold leaves Cleveland with one massive issue with their roster.

The Cavs now have Okoro, Caris LeVert, and Jaylon Tyson all on the bench. Given their similar positions and skillset, there's probably only enough playing time for two of them to be in the rotation.

Feb 15, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) shoots the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Let's assume here that new Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson uses a nine-man rotation. This presents quite a challenge for how he'll organize the bench.

Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Maz Strus, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen will more than likely be his starting five. The bench already consists of Ty Jerome (or Craig Porter Jr. as the backup point guard) and Dean Wade, who will likely get a fair amount of playing time. Given Okoro's new contract, he will see the floor a lot, too.

This leaves the final spot between LeVert and Tyson.

Caris is a veteran and proven NBA player, but he does have his flaws and can be inconsistent at times, too. On the other hand, Tyson was just drafted but is already 21 years old. He was a clear standout during the summer league and could contribute immediately at the NBA level.

This doesn't even include Georges Niang, who could see time given Cleveland's thin frontcourt depth, and Sam Merrill, who is arguably one of the best three-point shooters on the roster.

Having a deep roster isn't a bad thing. But it will certainly be a difficult task for Atkinson to figure out which players deserve to be in the rotation and