The Cavaliers have put their prior offseason moves into question.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have undergone quite an eventful past few days. It kicked off this past Saturday, when the Cavaliers traded Isaac Okoro to the Chicago Bulls for Lonzo Ball. While devastating for some of us (me), many thought highly of this move.
The news kept pouring in when the Cavaliers reached a new contract agreement with Sam Merrill for 4 years and $38 million. It was once this contract was announced that a feeling of dread and anxiety cast over the heads of Cavaliers Twitter. An addition of Ball and Merrill would make it seem unlikely that Sixth Man of the Year candidate Ty Jerome would return.
Sure enough, our worst fears became reality as Ty Jerome signed a contract on Monday night with the Memphis Grizzlies (3 years, $28 million). So, the question now is: how well do the Cavaliers understand what their bench comprises?
The Lonzo Ball move in a vacuum made a lot of sense. Ball is a good on-ball defender and capable of running an offense as a facilitator. Ball provides a release valve on ball handling responsibilities for Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, allowing for more off-ball shooting opportunities. Ball, on paper, would have also paired well in a bench unit with Jerome.
Jerome was an ultra-efficient one-man wrecking crew last year. He was capable of willing the Cavaliers to wins on his own on a night-to-night basis. As a result, the Cavs felt comfortable moving another capable ball handler in Caris LeVert, to acquire De’Andre Hunter. Jerome proved the Cavaliers’ confidence was correct, going on to produce a near 50/40/90 season.
Ball would introduce someone to take some of the on-ball burden off Jerome. Instead, now, the Cavaliers have essentially turned Isaac Okoro and Ty Jerome into Lonzo Ball. That makes this acquisition of Ball infinitely less appealing for multiple reasons. One, the Cavaliers, who have a history of being an injury-prone team in the postseason, have pushed their chips in on someone who only played 90 games during Joe Biden’s presidency.
Injuries aside, identity is also important for your bench. The Cavaliers, at the time of me writing this blog, have a bench of Lonzo Ball, Max Strus (or Hunter), Sam Merrill, Dean Wade, Craig Porter Jr, and Jaylon Tyson. There are reasons to like any of those players on their own merit; however, none of them are needle movers the way Jerome displayed throughout last season.
Now, while the Cavaliers can make some other moves, I just find myself confused about how this team is approaching a pivotal offseason. Continuity has proven itself to be an instrumental factor for teams making a Finals push, and the Cavaliers in a few short days, have lost some of their continuity, identity, and talent.
I know there will be someone in the comments telling me to “quit whining about Jerome, he sucks.”
This is truly less about Jerome the player and more about the dearth of options the Cavaliers have to find someone who can fill those shoes skill-wise.
As of now, the Cavaliers have to cross their fingers that Lonzo Ball can be healthy enough, that CPJ and Jaylon Tyson can handle more backup on-ball opportunities, and that someone takes the leap to replace the points and ‘IT’ factor that Jerome leaves behind.
Call me pessimistic, but in a short offseason where all the Eastern Conference teams are taking part in an arms race, the Cavaliers are willingly dismantling parts of their team and potential.