Nearly four weeks after the NBA’s free agent period opened, Isaac Okoro is the only standard restricted free agent who remains unsigned. And with little cap room still available around the league and few teams seemingly inclined to use their full mid-level exception, the Cavaliers have “a ton of leverage” in their negotiations with the RFA forward, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com stated in the latest episode of the Wine & Gold Talk podcast (YouTube link).
“The sense that I get in talking to a lot of people around the NBA, I’m not sure what the offer is specifically that the Cavs have made to Isaac, (but) they believe that it’s a fair offer. It’s a multiyear offer,” Fedor said (hat tip to HoopsHype). “It’s what they think he’s worth based on the construction of this particular roster and based on the role that he’s going to have for this roster. I don’t know exactly what the offer is that they have made, but the sense that I get in talking to people around the NBA is that it’s a multiyear offer in the annual range of $8 to $10 million.
“If it gets to a point where Isaac and his people are looking for multiple years around $12 to $15 million, right around the mid-level exception, that’s not a number that the Cavs would be comfortable with moving forward.”
After signing Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell to lucrative new long-term extensions this offseason, the Cavs will have three maximum-salary players on their roster beginning in 2025/26. With stricter spending restrictions in effect under the league’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the team is wary about committing an annual salary well into the eight figures for a player like Okoro who doesn’t project to be a starter, per Fedor.
As Fedor explains, Cleveland would be comfortable with Okoro accepting his qualifying offer, which would pay him $11,828,974 in 2024/25 and would put him on track for unrestricted free agency next summer. While they’d be reluctant to pay him that amount for several seasons, the Cavs are OK with that number for one year before the rest of the roster gets more expensive.
Okoro, meanwhile, will have to determine whether he likes the idea of betting on himself by taking a higher 2024/25 salary and returning to free agency in about 11 months, or if he prefers the security of a multiyear deal that will pay him a little less next season.
Of course, it would be ideal for Okoro if another suitor swooped in to put pressure on the Cavaliers, but given that no team has emerged to this point to aggressively pursue him, that suitor may not be out there. I’ve speculated a couple times that Detroit would be a fit for the former No. 5 overall pick, given the J.B. Bickerstaff connection, the Pistons’ remaining cap room (approximately $11MM), and the fact that Detroit could afford to be patient with Okoro’s development on offense. But there have been no real indications that the Pistons are interested.
Okoro is an excellent point-of-attack defender whose offensive contributions remain relatively limited. The 23-year-old knocked down a career-high 39.1% of his three-point attempts last season, but that was on low volume (1.2 makes per game), with opposing defenses often sagging off of him.
The Cavs are currently operating about $9.7MM below this season’s luxury tax line, with 12 players under contract. If they sign a minimum-salary player as their 13th man and leave their 15th roster spot open, they could sign Okoro for about $25MM over three years or $34MM over four and remain barely below the tax line. However, the fact that they’re willing to live with Okoro signing his $11.8MM qualifying offer suggests the Cavs aren’t necessarily committed to staying out of tax territory.
They either need to sign Okoro or work him into a sign and trade deal for a large 3 and D wing to move Strus to the bench. I suspect that they would have add another player or a 2nd round pick or 2 to make that work. I wouldn’t count on such a deal being available this summer but the Net’s or some other club may be inclined to make an uneven deal and and tank another season or 2. I still think Okoro’s offensive skills have not been fully utilized. He could be far better than Strus but lacks Max’s confidence.
The issue with Okoro is that he seems to have no consistency on offense. Like yes, the overall results are good. But some days he goes 5/5 from deep and then doesn’t hit a three for a week. That’s how it feels at least. He’s always been a great cutter in terms of actually doing it, but he doesn’t get himself open often enough for that either.
Maybe they could move him to the Nets for DFS? Okoro would slot right in for them as a good, young contributor with similar defensive upside and the potential to grow on offense while the Cavs get more size and consistency.
Why bother? DFS is an old run down version of what we need from a small forward. We can probably get more out of Okoro as he gets better. The target from the Nets has got to be Cam Johnson. Thing is that would require a lot of sweetener. DFS with Cam Thomas almost makes sense. Except that Thomas is not much more efficient than LeVert. Anyway we have plenty of wings the issue is getting a larger one that can defend the 2 through the 4. Okoro probably will play on the QO and the have his breakout season and walk. Which is fine because Jaylon Tyson should be ready by then.
DFS was the exact same player he’s been for his whole career. Still a very positive, versatile defender. He goes as his team goes, and the Nets sucked this past season. He’s only 30 this year, that isn’t old yet.
Also Johnson isn’t that good on defense. He gets bullied by stronger 3s and most 4s. We already have Strus to cover what he offers. He’s also injured a lot.
Thomas isn’t a fit at all. He isn’t as good as he thinks he is at creating his own shot, but doesn’t want to play off-ball enough to make it happen (30.6% pull-up from 3, though he can attack the rim well). He’s got some chops, but he’s better off-ball and doesn’t playmake or defend well enough to make up the difference. If we already have Jaylon Tyson and Caris, not to mention Emoni Bates, why would we try and get him? Another defense-lacking guard to pair with Garland and LeVert? Noah Clowney would be the young guy you’d target from Brooklyn. Length, strength, shooting, agility.
If Garland stays this is moot, but if he’s unwilling to take the QO, we shouldn’t just let some other team out-bid us. Get a good player who fits the mold, which DFS does, and move on.
I liked him a lot coming out the draft. But he hasn’t really developed the way I thought he would. His scoring definitely needs something. 8-10 mill is very fair imo. At 23 yrs old. It’s time to move up. Cavs need him to be consistent and reliable. Clock is ticking.
The problem was that under JB none of our players improved on who they were when we got them. JB was great at teaching defense but offense was another matter. I saw baby steps with each player but no giant leaps. Mobley and Okoro taught themselves to shoot the 3. Mobley couldn’t tell the guards to toss the ball to himself. JB could’ve told them to give Mobley the ball more but didn’t. I also guarantee they ran very few plays for Okoro. Probably just told him to stand outside the 3 point line in case someone needed an outlet. Anyway these big leaps we keep expecting will happen more often with a coach who designs the offense.
Take the q.o., play out your deal and take your shot at a better deal next year as a ufa. I’m a big believer in people who believe in themselves.