The Cavs should pursue T.J. McConnell, Alex Caruso, and others in free agency.
The Cavs are hoping to make moves in free agency and recent reports say they are targetting veteran point guards in the upcoming offseason. Two of those rumored names, Alex Caruso and T.J. McConnell are on this list, but there’s a third who could also fit in with Cleveland. Each player is on this list for a reason, and each player could make a definitive impact in some way shape, or form.
The Cavs suffered at the point guard spot both when Darius Garland was off the court and when he was hurt. Matthew Dellavedova did his best but that often was good enough, at least offensively. When Dellavedova was hurt, there was no real backup point guard left, and the Cavs struggled. That’s why pursuing a point guard should be near the top of the list.
Alex Caruso
Everyone on this list is going to be a free agent and for someone like Alex Caruso, the fit with the Cavs is a perfect one. Caruso is a dynamic player and an instant upgrade defensively over every guard, starter or otherwise, the Cavaliers have. He’s a 43% field goal shooter and a 38% three-point shooter, and there’s a very real possibility that if given more opportunities to score, he may just turn into a viable starter if needed. As a combo guard, he fills in well anywhere, but it’s his defense, intensity, and athleticism that makes him an ideal fit for the Cavs’ defense-first system.
He’s also young enough, just 27 years old, to fit in with the teams’ future expectations and growth. If the Cavs decide to stay the course and not abandon anyone from their young corp, and just re-up with Colli Sexton and Jarrett Allen, Caruso may make a big enough difference to matter.
T.J. McConnell
The word on T.J. McConnell is simple; he’s very good at everything but not amazing at anything. He’s arguably one of the best multi-faceted point guards in the game, the only thing holding him back from being one of the best players in the league is a lack of offensive consistency. Namely his three-point shooting. He’s a career 33% shooter from the three-point line, and truthfully if he were six inches taller, he’d probably be seen as a Ben Simmons-type player.
McConnell is a good inside scorer, a great passer and for a point guard, an excellent rebounder. The fact is that he’s very good at so many things the Cavs need, mostly and notably defense. He’s very good defensively. If there was a way for the Cavs to land both McConnell and Caruso, then the Cavs would be looking pretty good, especially if those two were playing alongside each other.
Right now the Cavs are rumored to be looking into trading Collin Sexton, and if that’s the case, there might be room in the starting lineup for either man, but getting both would certainly help with the overall team dynamic. Maybe one or two guys can do what McConnell can do off the bench and if you need him to start, not only can he, but he’ll make a case to be your permanent starter.
Like Caruso, the 29-year-old McConnell is also young enough to fit in with the Cavs and their future projections. Expected to start competing for a playoff spot in 2022 or 2023, the Cavs would be more than lucky to have the do-it-all point guard that is McConnell.
Goran Dragic
This is one that makes sense, but only if the Cavs made some radical changes to the roster to shake it up. The team has too many players who fail in the same areas all the time. Too many guys who can’t shoot, too many guys who can’t play defense, too many guys who can distribute. This isn’t Goran Dragic. Granted, it wasn’t who Dragic was. He is 35 years old and that shouldn’t be ignored but if he does hit the free agency wire, he can still do some damage to opposing players.
He shot 43% from the floor and 37% from three, not league-best numbers but instant upgrades for the Cavs at the backup position. That’s arguably the biggest difference between Dragic, T.J. McConnell, or Alex Caruso, there’s no doubt that Dragic would be a bench player for the Cavs, regardless of who else is on the roster.
Even if the team were to trade both Darius Garland and Collin Sexton, Dragic would still be a reservist. Keeping his minutes to a minimum helps ensure that he’s spry come the playoffs. It’s also to help keep him healthy and to limit any defensive limitations he’d have as he aged.
He’s still a good enough scorer to pursue if the Cavs are interested, and if the team is serious about trading for someone like C.J. McCollum, maybe Dragic would be a good option if the team is looking to expedite the rebuild process.
Those, admittedly, he’s probably looking for a chance to win a ring, which the Cavs may not offer.