3 Things Cavaliers Can Learn From Eastern Conference Contenders This Offseason

It is obvious the Cleveland Cavaliers are behind when it comes to making moves in the Eastern Conference this offseason.

They are moving slow and quickly falling down the order of favorites to come out of the East.

There are a few things that they can take from some of their fellow contenders to still compete come the playoffs:

Getting Two-Way Wing Depth

This has very clearly been the Cavs big focus in the offseason so far, however things are going slow after losing out on the LeBron James reunion.

Peyton Watson and Jonathan Kuminga are both on the Cavs radar when it comes to upgrading that wing position, but as things stand things seem to be far off from being real for either of these men.

But along with getting Watson or Kuminga the depth in that position is going to be important. Look at what the 76ers have done this offseason, trading for Jaylen Brown and signing LeBron as a guy to lead the team.

Philly also has major two way options off the bench with Kelly Oubre Jr. and Dean Wade.

Maintaining Roster Flexibility

Cleveland is teetering on that second apron once again entering next season. James Harden has not resigned as he wants to help upgrade the team, but they need to be able to keep the money in a good spot. Dropping players who have larger contracts when you don't want to use them is vital.

Boston has done a good job at keeping their money open and the roster flexible. As they quickly approached the second apron going into this season they generated a nearly $28 million trade exception to bring in new talent.

The front office in Boston are also big users of the buyout market which it does look like Cleveland is paying attention to as DeMar DeRozan is a target for the team after he reached a buyout with the Sacramento Kings.

Finding an Elite Point of Attack Defender

If you watched the Cavaliers postseason this year you would notice that defensively James Harden and Donovan Mitchell were dominated by other guards who could drive the basket when Cleveland did not have Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen on the court.

Deciding on a big to block the shot or a guard to keep him on the perimeter is a tough choice, but it seems like the Cavs are invested in Thomas Bryant, so getting a guy that plays lockdown defense seems the better option.

Miami traded for Giannis but also were able to keep Davion Mitchell and Andrew Wiggins who are physical perimeter defenders that will allow Giannis to stay at the basket to contest shots.

Getting somebody who fits next to Jaylon Tyson would be the best options. Players who could fill that role could be veterans like Marcus Smart, De’Athony Melton, or even a future Hall of Famer in Russell Westbrook to bring some energy and a presence on the perimeter that could bother a star guard.

Add us as a preferred source on Google