Cavaliers Could Increase NBA Finals Odds by Adding This Newly-Released Player

Jeremy Sochan was recently released from the San Antonio Spurs after the team was unable to find a new home for the former ninth overall pick ahead of the NBA trade deadline.

This buyout comes after Sochan was selected to the 2022-23 All-Rookie second team, but struggled to maintain that caliber of play in the following seasons. Especially this season.

Sochan was also dealing with a left quad strain that he was recently medically cleared of, and given clearance to play.

So, how does Sochan fit with the Cavs?

Sochan would fulfill a huge team need for the Cavaliers by stepping into that backup power forward that most expected Larry Nance Jr. to excel at.

With Dean Wade playing his most inconsistent basketball in years and Max Strus still without a timetable for a return to play, the Cavaliers must consider bolstering these positions.

Jeremy Sochan does just that.

Standing at 6-foot-8, Sochan does a bit of everything on the court, making him the perfect do-it-all forward for the Cavaliers. He would be able to slot into either forward position to provide relief for the Cavaliers, whether it be rebounding, playmaking, or even scoring, Sochan has the skillset to do whatever is required of him.

How would the deal work?

The Cavaliers can only offer minimum contracts to buyout players, as they are a second apron team.

However, it is not expected that Sochan will land a much larger deal, making the Cavaliers an appealing destination to display his skills while contending.

The Cavaliers have a full roster after converting breakout forward Nae’Qwon Tomlin to a full contract last week. This means that the Cavaliers would have to waive a player should they want to pursue Sochan.

The most likely candidate to be released, should the Cavs pursue Sochan, would be Larry Nance Jr..

Being a homegrown talent, Larry Nance Jr. has long been a fan favorite. However, he has not been of much use to the Cavaliers this season.

Many expected Nance to play a pivotal veteran role off the bench, and times where Mobley is injured(like right now) are supposed to be the stretches where we see the most of Nance.

Instead, Nance is on the fringe of the rotation; oftentimes, seeing under 10 minutes or not playing at all.

Why it makes sense

If you could replace Nance with a player that could give you more playing time in these stretches without Mobley, then the Cavs would not have to rely so heavily on Jarrett Allen who has been phenomenal this past week.

Keeping the stars fresh by not demanding too much of them while weathering regular season injuries is a delicate interplay of trying to keep the roster healthy without sliding in the standings.

Fresh legs like Sochan would certainly make life much easier in that regard.