The Cavs and Okoro’s representation seem to view his value differently.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have slowly been checking off items on their off-season to-do list. Finding a resolution for restricted-free agent Isaac Okoro is next up. It seemed as if the Cavs were exploring ways to sign and trade Okoro several weeks ago. That hasn’t materialized.
As a restricted free agent, Okoro can either sign Cleveland’s qualifying offer for next season worth $11.8 million, sign an offer sheet with another team that the Cavs could match, or sign an extension with the Cavs.
Chris Fedor of cleveland.com said on the Wine & Gold Talk Podcast that what the Cavs have offered Okoro is below the full mid-level exception and in the $8 to $10 million range annually.
The market has spoken for the Cavs at this point in time. The teams that have had cap space have used it on other people. They’ve gone a different direction. . . . The sense I get from talking to people around the NBA is that it’s a multi-year offer in the annual range of $8 to $10 million. If it gets to the point where Isaac and his people are looking for multiple years around $12 to $15 million, right around the mid-level exception, that’s not a number the Cavs would be comfortable with moving forward.
How Okoro and his representation handle this offseason remains to be seen. There’s reason to think that the best course of action for him could be taking the qualifying offer and betting on himself this upcoming season. He’s shown flashes of being a player worthy of the full mid-level exception, like his stretch from last December through the All-Star break. There’s reason to believe a team led by a more offensive-minded coach in Kenny Atkinson could be able to get more out of Okoro on that end.
Okoro ended last season averaging 9.4 points, three rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 69 games on .490/.391/.679 shooting splits. The Cavs selected Okoro fifth overall in the 2020 NBA Draft.
