Questions Surrounding Cleveland Cavaliers Following Saddiq Bey To Wizards Signing

Free agent forward Saddiq Bey signed with the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. The details of the contract should leave Cleveland Cavaliers' fans confused.
Mar 8, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Saddiq Bey (41) shoots for three as Memphis Grizzlies guard John Konchar (46) defends during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Saddiq Bey (41) shoots for three as Memphis Grizzlies guard John Konchar (46) defends during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports / Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday that free agent forward Saddiq Bey signed a three-year, $20 million deal to become a member of the Washington Wizards.

Bey grew up in the DC area, playing his high school basketball there prior to going off to Villanova for college. As the Washington Wizards begin the early stages of a complete rebuild, Bey feels like a good fit for the team.

Last season, the 6'7" small forward was averaging 13.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game with the Atlanta Hawks prior to suffering a torn ACL in his left knee in March. Bey will not be ready to return to the court by the start of this next season, but will likely return at some point during the 2024-25 season. With the Wizards rebuilding, they don't need to rush him back.

Bey is only 25-years-old at this point and in his five seasons in the NBA has proven his ability to be a double-digit scorer with both the Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks. Bey has also consistently been an 80 percent free throw shooter, shot at or above 40 percent from the field and ranges between 31 and 40 percent from three-point range. When you have Bey, you know what you are going to get.

His signing with the Wizards should leave the Cleveland Cavaliers' faithful a bit perplexed. Despite coming off an ACL tear and set to miss probably the first half of next season, three-years, $20 million looks like an extremely team friendly deal for the small forward.

Basketball player dunks the basketball.
Feb 25, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Saddiq Bey (41) dunks against the Orlando Magic during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Cavaliers need to make a move for another wing despite drafting Jaylon Tyson. Names continue to get brought up, but as the Cavaliers sit on their hands and wait, more free agents pass them by as time continues to tick. Bey could have been well worth a signing for the Cavaliers at that price and perhaps been a major impact player headed into the postseason next year.

The list of available players keeps dwindling and more uncertainty is building.

Who are the Cavs waiting on or are they not even interested in adding another piece to this current roster?

Cavaliers' fans may be left asking that very question for quite a while longer.


Published
Cole McDaniel

COLE MCDANIEL

Cole McDaniel is a contributor to both Browns Digest and Cavs Insider. He is the Vice President of Operations for Kee on Sports, most notably serving as lead NFL Draft analyst and the play-by-play voice for high school football. He can also be heard on numerous Baldwin Wallace University athletics broadcasts and has served as Cleveland SC's color commentator since 2019. Cole is a 2019 graduate of Baldwin Wallace where he also played soccer.