Cavs Gifted Perfect Backup Big Man From Eastern Conference Rival

The Cleveland Cavaliers have kept to themselves so far this offseason with their only move coming as re-signing Donovan Mitchell to a max deal. They are seemingly bringing back the same roster from the season before, much to the chagrin of some Cavs fans.

It's important to remember, however, that it's still early in the offseason. There are still valuable free agents remaining on the board and as days go by, they are more likely to come on team-friendly deals. Plus, new free agents are becoming available on a regular basis. In fact, the Cleveland Cavaliers should be particularly interested in one that hit free agency on Saturday.

NBA News: Paul Reed is Now Available in Free Agency

The Philadelphia 76ers just released big man Paul Reed in order to create enough cap space to sign Caleb Martin. Reed was made redundant by Philly once they signed veteran Andre Drummond to be the backup center next season.

One man's cap casualty could be another man's treasure. The Cavs, who currently don't have a backup center, would be an obvious landing spot for Reed.

Cleveland is set in their starting lineup with the Jarrett Allen-Evan Mobley duo. They used veteran Tristan Thompson as their third big last year. Thompson was fine but the Cavs could certainly use an upgrade there.

Reed is that upgrade. He is a versatile defender who can switch out on the perimeter and protect the rim at the same time. He is undersized at 6'9 but he plays bigger than his size due to his strength, physicality, and athleticism. He averaged 0.8 steals and 1 block per game in 19.4 minutes of action last year, showcasing his active help defense. Reed also didn't miss a single game in the 2023-24 season.

Being able to have Reed anchoring the defense in bench lineups would bring Cleveland to the next level on that end of the floor. If the team didn't suffer any decline in defensive intensity when Allen or Mobley is on the bench, the Cavs can take that next step in the Eastern Conference power rankings.

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