Amid their sudden catapult up the Eastern Conference standings, the Cleveland Cavaliers may be trying to consolidate some of their talent.
Speaking this week on the “Wine and Gold Talk Podcast,” Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com revealed that there is one particular Cavs player who seems the likeliest to be dealt ahead of the trade deadline — forward Isaac Okoro.
“I continue to hear from my sources around the NBA, that if the Cavs make a move, there’s a chance that Isaac Okoro would be the one that goes out,” said Fedor, per HoopsHype.
Okoro, 23, was Cleveland’s lottery pick in the 2020 NBA Draft (No. 5 overall). He is a sturdy perimeter defender who earned All-Rookie Second Team honors in 2021, but his offensive game (averaging 8.4 points per game this season) still has not developed as the Cavs would have liked it to. Okoro also recently lost his spot in the starting lineup with guard Darius Garland returning from a jaw injury.
While Cleveland, on the strength of an active six-game winning streak, has shot up to No. 2 in the East, you could make the argument that Okoro is redundant when they are fully healthy. The Cavs brought in Max Strus, a better scorer who is almost as good defensively, in the summer, and fellow wings Caris LeVert and Sam Merrill are holding their own off the bench too.
On top of that, Okoro will be a restricted free agent this summer, giving the Cavs incentive to flip him for a return while he is still cost-controlled. It may be worth noting too that a top East rival once had serious interest in Okoro.
