Former First-Round Pick 'Most Likely' To Be Traded On Cavaliers

Will the Cleveland Cavaliers end up trading Isaac Okoro this offseason?

Apr 22, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) celebrates in the second quarter against the Orlando Magic during game two of the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers have an interesting offseason ahead of them.

The front office doesn't have to make any major roster moves, but it might if the Cavaliers want to re-sign either Ty Jerome or Sam Merrill, or both.

Due to Cleveland's current financial situation and the contract demands from Merrill and Jerome, the Cavaliers may have to trade one or two players to bring back their free agents.

That's why Dan Favale of Bleacher Report named Isaac Okoro as the "most likely" player on the Cavaliers to be traded this offseason.

"Isaac Okoro seems like the odd man out. Offloading his $11 million salary into some team's non-taxpayer mid-level exception would also help slash Cleveland's tax bill," wrote Favale.

"This is instead a bet on Okoro's market shifting once other matters are settled, or on the Cavs sweetening a deal to get him off the ledger."

Mar 19, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward/guard Isaac Okoro (35) bring shoe ball down the court during the fourth quarter Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images / Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Okoro may not have lived up to the expectations of a No. 5 overall pick, but he's still developed into a quality NBA rotation player.

Over the last five seasons, the guard/forward has been a solid 3-and-D player on the Cavaliers. Over the last two years, Okoro shot 38 percent from behind the arc while recording a defensive rating of 115.

As Favale mentions, an Okoro deal may not be imminent. However, if a team misses out on one of the free-agent targets, a trade centered around Okoro could become more likely.

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