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After a first-round playoff loss exposed the Cleveland Cavaliers’ lack of wing players, there are some potential options available in free agency they will have interest in if the price is right.
Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com highlighted Max Strus and Miles Bridges as two players of interest to the Cavs, but who will likely end up costing more than the team wants to spend as they “would prefer to avoid” going into the luxury tax.
Per Spotrac, the Cavs are currently $37.5 million away from the luxury tax and have a $12.4 million non-taxpayer mid-level exception available.
Fedor noted Strus would be “an ideal fit” for what Cleveland needs and if he’s in play for a mid-level exception he “will be near the top” of the team’s wish list.
“But Cleveland decision-makers are getting the impression Strus will be too expensive and their offer won’t be good enough,” Fedor wrote.
Strus’ performance over the past two seasons, particularly during the Miami Heat’s run to the NBA Finals in this most recent playoffs, has significantly increased his value. The 27-year-old has averaged 11.1 points on 37.6 percent three-point shooting in 148 games since the start of 2021-22.
During an eight-game stretch last postseason from Game 2 against the New York Knicks to Game 3 against the Boston Celtics, Strus averaged 14.5 points on 47.7 percent shooting and 3.3 rebounds per contest.
Bridges’ situation is more complicated after he sat out the 2022-23 season. The 25-year-old, who was a restricted free agent after receiving a qualifying offer from the Charlotte Hornets last offseason, pleaded no contest to a felony domestic violence charge on Nov. 3.
The plea deal requires Bridges to complete 52 weeks of parenting classes, 52 weeks of domestic violence counseling and 100 hours of community service. He was given a 30-game suspension by the NBA on April 14, with the league crediting him with 20 games served from last season.
As a restricted free agent, the Hornets have the right to match any potential offer sheet Bridges receives.
Fedor noted it “would likely take a lucrative offer for the Hornets to balk” at bringing Bridges back, and Bridges’ camp is “expecting a much higher per-year salary” than the mid-level exception.
Bridges averaged a career-high 20.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in 80 starts for the Hornets during the 2021-22 season.
Cleveland’s starting lineup as presently constructed is built around two small guards in Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland and two bigs in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
The Cavs didn’t have a wing who was capable of challenging opposing teams on either end of the court. The New York Knicks took advantage of that weakness in the first round of the playoffs by going after players like Cedi Osman, Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert.
Last season was a success for the Cavaliers because they were able to bring in Donovan Mitchell and made the playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season. They lost in five games to the Knicks, with the final three games of the series decided by an average of 13.3 points.
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