Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 NBA free agents to target with the mid-level exception

The Cleveland Cavaliers should target these five NBA free agents with the only asset the franchise has: its taxpayer mid-level exception.

The Cleveland Cavaliers were tied to tons of rumors this offseason, but the franchise hasn’t provided any fireworks because of the cold hard truth that they don’t have salary cap room to sign a key free agent.

The Cavs didn’t have any draft picks and failed to deliver a trades for Jimmy Butler and Paul George.

There’s such little flexibility on the roster that the franchise tried to give Iman Shumpert away to Houston Rockets for the slightest amount of breathing room.

Cleveland’s only left with two bullets, as far as assets are concerned entering the 2017-2018. Unknown Turkish product Cedi Osman, who teams have had interest in in the past, and the taxpayer mid-level exception (MLE), which is about $5.2 million.

Cleveland has this exception because of the money owner Dan Gilbert paid into the luxury tax last season.

Here’s the best way to explain the mid-level exception, via Hoops Hype.

"The taxpayer mid-level exception is available to teams above the luxury tax apron, and it works similarly with 4.5 percent raises each season after a fixed starting salary, but one major difference to the non-taxpayer version is that players can only be signed up to three years."

Last summer, Cleveland used its MLE to give Richard Jefferson a bump in pay, in addition to buying the draft rights to Kay Felder.

Cleveland must be careful in how it uses the MLE, because, barring a trade, it’s really the only asset the front office (whomever is running it) has left.

The Cavs could always hold on to the MLE, and wait and see who becomes available as the 2017-2018 season progresses. Every season, someone’s getting bought out or becomes available, and possessing the MLE would allow the Cavs to offer something more than the vet minimum.

As for who’s available right now?

These are five players the Cleveland Cavaliers should target with the taxpayer mid-level exception.