Cleveland Cavaliers Offseason Moves 2019: Odds and Predictions

Season Record: 19-63, 14th in the East

Head Coach: Tyronn Lue (0-6), Larry Drew (19-57)

Most Frequent Starting Five (9 Games): (G) Brandon Knight – (G) Collin Sexton – (F) Cedi Osman – (F) Kevin Love – (C) Ante Zizic

Top Performers

• G Jordan Clarkson – 16.8 PPG | 2.4 APG | .509 eFG%
• G Collin Sexton – 16.7 PPG | 3.0 APG | .402 3FG%
• F Cedi Osman – 13.0 PPG | 4.7 RPG | .348 FG%

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Transactions

19 July 2018 – Signed F-C Channing Frye as a free agent.

7 August 2018 – Traded Vladamir Veremeenko to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for F Sam Dekker, the rights to G Ronnie Seibutis, and cash.

17 August 2018 – Signed G Isaiah Taylor as a free agent.

8 September 2018 – Signed G-F David Nwaba as a free agent.

9 September 2018 – Signed G Rodney Hood as a free agent.

15 October 2018 – Signed F Larry Nance Jr to a multi-year contract.

28 October 2018 – Fired head coach Tyronn Lue, appointed Larry Drew as interim head coach.

29 November 2018 – Traded G-F Kyle Korver to the Utah Jazz in exchange for G Alec Burks, a 2020 second-round draft pick, and a 2021 second-round draft pick.

7 December 2018 – Traded F Sam Dekker to the Washington Wizards, G George Hill to the Milwaukee Bucks, and received G Matthew Dellavedova, C John Henson.

4 February 2019 – Traded G Rodney Hood to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for G Wade Baldwin and G Nik Stauskas.

7 February 2019 – Traded G Alec Burks to the Sacramento Kings, G Wade Baldwin and G Nik Stauskas to the Houston Rockets, and received F Marquese Chriss, G Brandon Knight, and a 2019 first-round pick (G-F Dylan Windler was later selected) from the Houston Rockets.

11 April 2019 – Mutually parted ways with interim head coach Larry Drew.

The Good

Collin Sexton Is One for the Future

Collin Sexton with the lob and Marcus Lee with the dunk!#NBASummer pic.twitter.com/iApY1fVsBr

— NBA (@NBA) July 9, 2018

Collin Sexton came into the NBA as a high-potential prospect. However, after the first few months of the season, he was heavily criticized for his basketball intelligence by teammates and coaches. While some players, especially rookies, fade as the season goes on, Sexton grew stronger.

Most impressive was Sexton’s participation in all 82 games of the NBA regular season. The NBA has more than twice the amount of games than the college season. For a rookie to come in and improve as the year goes on without significant fatigue is incredible.

The Smiling Turk Took Massive Steps

Cedi Osman nails the Buzzer Beater to end the 1st – TISSOT Buzzer Beater https://t.co/w1SLpqPifc pic.twitter.com/picR8XZLQU

— バスケットボール動画 (@basketball_vv) September 9, 2019

The Cavaliers also saw impressive improvement from newly minted starting small forward Cedi Osman. While incredibly likable off the court, his production jumped a tremendous amount from 11.0 minutes per game and 3.9 points per game in his rookie season to 13.0 points per game and 32.2 minutes per game in his sophomore campaign.

The Bad

No Love Found

Kevin Love with a double-double (15 Pts, 10 Reb) in the 1st half ? pic.twitter.com/Po6aRXxwCx

— ESPN (@espn) June 7, 2018

With the departure of LeBron James, all eyes were on Kevin Love to lead the Cavaliers into the future. After signing a massive four year, $120 million contract, many were looking for a mark-making season from the former sidekick.

Instead, the Cavaliers received a battered Kevin Love who only appeared in 22 games throughout the 2018-2019 campaign. He was ruled out on 25 October 2018 and only returned on 5 February 2019. While he averaged an impressive 17.9 points per game and 10.9 rebounds per game in his appearances, the frequency was disappointing.

Who Is Rodney Hood?

When Rodney Hood was acquired by the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, he was expected to be the next star in the backcourt for the Cavs. Instead, he maintained his rather enigmatic status as a player. Once thought to be Demar Derozan-esque, he struggled to make a consistent impact for the side. He was later traded to the Portland Trail Blazers to shore up their playoff depth.

The Surprises

The Cavaliers’ Identity Swapped

Tough, hard nosed, Cleveland Cavaliers defense….pic.twitter.com/QCRxDdeD3e

— Bruce Blitz (@BruceBlitz) November 22, 2018

Coming into the 2018-2019 season, there were many questions as to what the Cavaliers would do well. Based on their roster, it seemed that they would at least excel on the defensive end of the court.

Rookie Collin Sexton and perimeter addition David Nwaba are capable defenders while Cedi Osman and Larry Nance are better than solid in the paint as well. While they lacked size, they were also unable to make any notable impact as a perimeter defending team. They finished the year thirtieth in defensive rating.

Moves Abound

The Cavaliers were always going to be an experimental team going into the year. However, with front office moves and coaching staff changes, roster permutations were more than expected. A total of 27 different players put on a Cleveland Cavaliers shirt in 18-19, to little success on the court.

2019 NBA Draft Acquisitions

The Cleveland Cavaliers had two picks in the 2019 NBA Draft. They selected an experienced senior and a high-ceiling point guard, while also trading to obtain an interesting wing prospect.

Kevin Porter Jr. – USC – USA – Milwaukee Bucks, 1st Round (30th Pick, 30th Overall)

Slam Dunk Contest might need Kevin Porter Jr. ?

(via @corey__porter) pic.twitter.com/j91Qsj29CV

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 30, 2019

Kevin Porter Jr is more than just an interesting prospect for the Cavaliers. So much that Cleveland gave up three future draft picks to the Detroit Pistons in order to acquire him. He has a small sample size but may prove to be a capable bench scoring option. He had a 17% turnover rate in college, which is poor but can certainly be improved upon with a smaller incoming role.

Dylan Windler – Belmont – USA – Cleveland Cavaliers, 1st Round (26th Pick, 26th Overall)

Belmont is DANCING! ?#SelectionSunday | @BelmontMBB pic.twitter.com/Ze2NMl1hyX

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 17, 2019

The selection of Dylan Windler was an incredibly safe pick, which is exactly what the Cavaliers should have looked for at that point in the draft. He projects to be a rotational sniper for the Cavaliers. With the Cavs lack of attention on the glass last season as well, his 7.8 rebounds at the guard spot looks to be an added bonus.

Darius Garland – Vanderbilt – USA – Cleveland Cavaliers, 1st Round (5th Pick, 5th Overall)

“I think me and @CollinSexton02 can play really well together. The future is bright.” #CavsDraft pic.twitter.com/WSLt7wtFxG

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) June 21, 2019

The selection of Darius Garland is clearly one for the future of the Cavaliers. He only appeared for five matches at Vanderbilt, but projects to be an excellent backcourt piece to support Sexton. His shooting is his best contribution at this time.

Expectations

Darius Garland’s role will be determined by his contributions in training camp. He has stiff competition in combo-guard Jordan Clarkson and has a long road to meeting NBA fitness after his shortened NCAA season.

Dylan Windler is a capable shooter that can play an immediate role with the Cavaliers when the season begins. Expect him to share time with the Canton Charge, their G-League affiliate.

Kevin Porter Jr needs conditioning. He projects to be a talented pick but doesn’t have the maturity yet to be an immediate contributor. Expect him to spend a significant amount of time with the Canton Charge.

2019 NBA Offseason Acquisitions

The Cleveland Cavaliers had a number of players down for the count last season. They enter the 2019-2020 campaign with some key pieces returning, but limited acquisitions in the free-agent market.

The Cavaliers roster currently sits at fourteen. They have the ability to sign one more player to a full-time contract and two more players to a two-way contract.

(HC) John Beilin

Teams Coached: Canisius (92-97), Richmond (97-02), West Virginia (02-07), Michigan (07-19)

Record: Canisius (89-62), Richmond (100-53), West Virginia (104-60), Michigan (278-150), Overall (571-325)

Thank you, @JohnBeilein, for everything you did for Michigan.

▪️ 278 Wins
▪️ 9 NCAA Tournament Appearances
▪️ 2 Final Four Appearances
▪️ 2 #B1G Regular Season Championships
▪️ 2 #B1G Tournament Titles
▪️ 18 All-Big Ten Selections
▪️ 9 @NBA Draft Picks

Forever, #GoBlue! 〽️ pic.twitter.com/EKo7Cbu1jk

— Michigan Men’s Basketball (@umichbball) May 13, 2019

The hottest available job in the NBA went to a surprising candidate when the Cavaliers hired former Michigan head coach John Beilin to lead their rebuilding side. After being part of a massive FBI investigation riffled with federal trials and briberies, he was certain to leave the NCAA.

It looks as if it’ll all work out though, as a fantastic college coach is incoming to a team rife with young and impressionable talent. Controversies aside, Beilin’s resume suggests that he is perfect for the group that the Cavs have at hand.

He won’t be leading them to 50 wins this season, but slow and steady improvements are expected. A perfect situation for a coach with the style and history of Beilin.

(G) JP Macura – Exhibit 10

The Cavs and guard J.P. Macura have agreed on a partially guaranteed (Exhibit 10) contract for next season. Macura played two games with Charlotte as a rookie last year, sources told @ShamsCharania and I. Move brings Cavs’ roster to 14.

— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) July 25, 2019

To this point in the offseason, Macura is the Cavaliers’ only acquisition in free agency. On an Exhibit 10 deal, he will have the incentive to join Cleveland’s G-League affiliate should he not make the grade.

Macura was excellent in the G-League last year and seems to be a piece to build on for the future. He has shown excellent instincts off the ball and was a passable shooter from three last year. If his consistency from the field can continue, he’ll be a valuable piece going forward.

Expected Depth Chart

2019-2020 Season Expectations

Just over a month away from training camp, the Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t even filled out their roster entirely. While more moves are sure to be made, nobody expects them to land a signing to change their season at this point.

The Cavaliers are in the bottom third of the NBA in odds of winning the NBA Championship. In fact, they fail to even project as a playoff team this coming season. Keep an eye out on their young pieces though, who they are surely grooming for future success.

Cleveland has solid veterans with a lot to prove going forward in Brandon Knight, Tristan Thompson, and Kevin Love. While they don’t look to be enough to move the needle, these are the type of players that could perform well in their return, in hopes of a future move. The Cavs are certain to aim for future stars.

Cleveland Cavaliers Season Odds

The latest odds for the Cleveland Cavaliers 2019-2020 season are provided by 888Sport NJ, DraftKings, Unibet NJ, and BetMGM NJ.

Good luck!

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