Cavaliers could sign breakout star of Olympics?
Jan 30, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; A view of the Cleveland Cavaliers logo on the shorts of Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeat the Cavaliers 104-97. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The Cleveland Cavaliers may have liked what they saw at the Paris Games.
Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com said this week on the “Wine and Gold Talk Podcast” that the Cavs were “taking a look” at Brazil breakout star Bruno Caboclo at the Olympics. Caboclo, 28, currently plays at the club level for Partizan in Serbia.
A 6-foot-9 power forward, Caboclo was the No. 20 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors. Notoriously described by ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla on draft night as being “two years away from being two years away,” Caboclo would play seven NBA seasons for four different teams. Overall, he posted 4.2 points and 2.6 rebounds in 12.3 minutes a game. Caboclo last appeared in the NBA during the 2020-21 campaign for the Houston Rockets and has since been playing overseas.
But Caboclo burst back onto the scene at the Olympics with an excellent performance for his native Brazil. Caboclo averaged 17.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in Olympic play, including a very impressive 30-point performance against Team USA in the quarterfinal. Caboclo also had a 33-point game against Japan in group-stage play.
As for the Cavs, they had a league-high six open roster spots (three standard contracts and three two-way contracts) as of Aug. 8 and have not made any signings since then.
Cavs with a league-high 6 open roster spots as of August 8. https://t.co/EuPALYBZrp
— Across The Cavs (@AcrossCavs) August 8, 2024
With Cleveland still wanting to contend after winning 48 games last year and now looking set to run it back with all of their key players (including some enormous extensions this offseason), Caboclo might be developed enough at this point to get a look from them.
