With training camps set to begin in about three weeks, there haven’t been many updates on the NBA’s lone remaining restricted free agent, former No. 5 overall pick Isaac Okoro.
Okoro provides real value to the Cavaliers — he’s their best on-ball defender and is frequently tasked with guarding the opposing teams’ best perimeter player. Even with a major size disadvantage, Okoro did an admirable job defending Paolo Banchero in Cleveland’s first-round playoff series vs. Orlando.
The issue is on the other end of the court, where Okoro is an inconsistent shooter and scorer whom opposing defenses frequently ignore. After shooting a career-best 39.1% from three-point range in the 2023/24 regular season, he converted just 25.7% of his outside looks in the postseason.
The Cavaliers extended a qualifying offer — essentially just a one-year contract offer — to Okoro in June, granting them the right of first refusal in negotiations. That QO is worth $11,828,974. If the 23-year-old accepts the QO, he would become an unrestricted free agent in 2025.
In late July, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reported that the Cavs also made Okoro a multiyear offer, roughly in the range of $8-10MM annually. Cleveland certainly seems to be in the driver’s seat in negotiations and hasn’t budged on that stance, according to reports last month from Fedor and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
One of the primary issues for Okoro is the Pistons are the only team in the league that has cap room available, and there has been no indication they’re interested in testing the Cavaliers with a long-term offer that Cleveland could match. There also haven’t been any rumors about teams potentially using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception to make Okoro an offer.
For what it’s worth, the Cavs used the stretch provision to spread Ricky Rubio‘s $1,274,015 dead-money cap hit for 2024/25 across three seasons. Rubio will now count against Cleveland’s books for $424,672 annually through ’26/27. That might not sound significant, but it could help the Cavs re-sign Okoro while avoiding the luxury tax — a key consideration for a team whose payroll is set to balloon in ’25/26, when Evan Mobley‘s rookie scale extension kicks in.
Aside from accepting the QO, re-signing with the Cavs on a multiyear deal, or signing with another team (again, the Cavs could choose to match), there’s one other viable outcome. The Cavs reportedly discussed a sign-and-trade with the Nets involving Okoro and Dorian Finney-Smith, but it sounds like those talks didn’t get serious.
We want to know what you think. How will Okoro’s situation be resolved? Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section to share your thoughts.
Is there a deadline to when Okoro needs to do something?
October 1st
It has to be sign and trade if he has a good value
Any other options are not good for Cavs
Let’s say Cavs give him 3 years $36m with team option then trade him to
Paul Reed is only 6’7, how is he a backup center? SMH
You think he should be starting??
Basketball reference has him at 6’9 and I recall him being 6’9 too so I dont know where you got the 6’7 figure from…
I have only seen him listed at 6’9 playing C but should be playing PF at that height.
He can’t shoot in the NBA worth anything. He can protect the rim, but he can’t do much else.
He better accept whatever the Cavs are giving him, under the new cap rules teams dont really have money to spend on a non 3 point shooter that cant pass or do much of anything offensively.
He doesn’t shoot a high volume but his 3P% has increased every season, last year he hit .391. He’s not a ball stopper and doesn’t turn the ball over.
It’s most likely a case of Dan Gilbert having committed a lot of cash long term the last couple off seasons and the fact he’s notoriously cheap and doesn’t like paying the Luxury tax unless he has too. Cleveland is around $15 million under the first apron now which is about what Okoro is worth but when Mitchell and Mobley’s extensions kick in this team is going to be pretty costly.
Dunno where you get the idea that Gilbert is “notoriously cheap.” Most Cavs fans think just the opposite.
Notoriously cheap and doesn’t like paying the luxury tax is NOT the same thing.
He should sign the Q/O. It’s a nice salary, so his Bird Rights shouldn’t be a major concern. There is no more competitive free agency, but if he gets UFA status next year, he can at least pick his team.
Nobody is trading for him. So it’s qualifying offer, one more yr to show.
If this is (SF) the weakest position on the Cavs. What does Dean Wade do? I thought defend the SF and PF but they say Okoro is the Cavs best defender.
Someone needs to be traded or kept between Okoro, Wade, Caris and Ty Jerome. Trade three and keep one and bring a SF back. Sign two more veterans on the bench and you are golden
Sorry Nance and Mobley maybe you will be back on a two way
This team is close but need one trade