This Former Cavaliers Star Not Named LeBron James Could Help These Cavs

Since we’re still in the midst of the NBA’s All-Star break with no games to be played and the league’s trade deadline having already passed, let’s have some fun.

The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t lost since acquiring Keon Ellis, Dennis Schroder and James Harden in the days prior to the deadline. Cleveland’s been rolling. But they’re still fourth in the Eastern Conference. There’s room for improvement.

Enter the dream machine.

If these Cavaliers could add one former Cav to the existing roster, who would it be?

LeBron James won’t be part of this exercise because, well, we’ve already done the LeBron return thing … and we’ll probably do it again this summer too.

Now, some quick notes on this hypothetical mid-season free agent acquisition:

The player selected to join Donovan Mitchell and crew will be from their prime Cavs-era playing days. As an example: If Shawn Kemp was selected, you’re getting Cavs Shawn Kemp, not prime Seattle Shawn Kemp. You too, DRose. The age of the player will also align with their Cavalier days. If Brad Daugherty is the pick, the Wine & Gold get the 20s-something Daugherty, not the current 60-year-old. And the player must have played in a game for the Cavs. So, someone like Charles Oakley, who was drafted by Cleveland but immediately traded, does not qualify.

Finally, salary cap number doesn’t matter. We’re not worrying about fitting anyone under the cap or googling what “second apron” means.

You’re probably thinking this is an easy choice. Kyrie Irving.

Nope.

As tempting as Irving is, he’s probably not the best fit on this current iteration of the Cavs.

Cavs Look To Someone Other Than Kyrie or LeBron

Scoring or guard play are not issues you’d associate with this Cleveland team. Size-wise, you really wouldn’t be able to consistently play Mitchell, Harden and Irving together. Not to mention, the defense would be, ummm… offensive. There’s also only one ball. And no superstar wants the Chris Bosh treatment.

Memory Lane considers adding John “Hot Rod” Williams to the mix. He’s second in team history in blocks, was a willing and capable scorer and had plenty of playoff experience under his belt.

Anderson Varejao deserves a look for many of the same reasons Hot Rod did. What team couldn’t use his energy?

But I’m passing on all the above, and Mark Price, Shaq and Wally Szczerbiak too.

My roster addition might surprise some, but I’m inking a 2016 champion, Richard Jefferson.

RJ brings all the things these Cavaliers could use, such as defensive versatility. Jefferson could guard twos, threes and fours. He had both length and quickness. He could also score when needed but doesn’t need to score to make an impact. With Mitchell, Harden, Jaylon Tyson, Evan Mobley and newly discovered offensive weapon Jarrett Allen all in the mix, this squad doesn’t lack for scoring, especially within the starting five.

Maybe most importantly, Jefferson would provide this team leadership. He’s played with some of the game’s all-time greats: Jason Kidd, Nikola Jokic, LeBron James and others. He knows how to navigate a locker room and egos. And he has championship experience. No current Cavalier owns an NBA championship ring. As Cavs fans have seen over the last three postseasons, having reached the pinnacle of NBA success matters.

Add Jefferson to this Cavs locker room and then watch the champagne flow.