The Cavaliers have had a quiet offseason, but that could change after the Olympics.
It's been a quiet offseason for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but that could change after the Olympics. Chris Fedor of cleveland.com said on the Wine & Gold Talk Podcast that the Cavs’ front office plans to meet with new head coach Kenny Atkinson once he returns from the Olympics in Paris. Atkinson is helping to coach the French national team, which will play Team USA on Saturday for the gold medal.
“I’m told that the front office is going to get together with Kenny Atkinson when he returns from France,” Fedor said on the podcast. “They’re going to have a conversation about whether there are any players out there with ties to Kenny, either from his days in Atlanta, Brooklyn, or Golden State that would make sense to fill that roster spot.”
It's worth noting that this does not necessarily mean a big trade. The more likely option is this roster spot for a veteran, ala Tristan Thompson or Marcus Morris. Fedor said on the podcast that Atkinson is looking for a veteran type of leader who can set the tone and get the most out of the younger players on the roster.
Fedor said he “has some doubts” about the Cavs adding Morris back to the roster, given his scorched earth statements on Cleveland’s locker room. But, as Fedor notes, the Cavs are at the point where they may not have the luxury of being choosy with who they sign for the last roster spot.
The Cavs still have one lingering question in Isaac Okoro, who remains without a contract. Should the Cavs take a bigger, more aggressive swing on a player it would likely have to come at the expense of Okoro via a sign-and-trade. That appears to be an increasingly possible outcome as the offseason drags on through the summer doldrums. One of the few teams with cap space remaining, the Detroit Pistons, reportedly had interest in Okoro.
