The Cleveland Cavaliers were very interested in two-time Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford, and the 37-year-old seemed interested in playing for Cleveland after talking to LeBron James. However, the Cavaliers were unable to pay Crawford his asking price, which sent the free agent guard to the Minnesota Timberwolves on a two-year, $8.9 million deal. Now the Cavs must move on and look at other affordable free agent perimeter players to Fill The Void.
Tony Allen
Tony Allen may come to Cleveland at a cheap price or perhaps the Cavaliers can engage the Memphis Grizzlies in a sign-and-trade.
Regardless of his age, Allen is still one of the best perimeter defenders in the league and would be an upgrade over Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith on the defensive end. Allen provides tremendous energy and hustle as well, which is one of his most underrated qualities.
Gerald Henderson
Gerald Henderson was waived by the Philadelphia 76ers earlier in the offseason and would gladly take less money to play for a contender. The athletic wing has improved his offensive game over the years and would be a quality bench player for Cleveland. He is also relatively young and still has bounce, which would be beneficiary for the athletically challenged Cavaliers.
Luc Mbah a Moute
Although his offensive game is suspect, Luc Mbah a Moute was the Los Angeles Clippers’ best defender last season.
He can guard multiple positions, which would ease some pressure off LeBron James. When it comes to his offense, Mbah a Moute usually spots up at the corner three and can sometimes hit those shots. Otherwise, he slashes to the rim and with LeBron on the team, he would get a lot of good, open looks.
Thabo Sefolosha
Over the years, Thabo Sefolosha has slightly improved his offensive game, but he is mainly known for his defense.
Sefolosha can play both the shooting guard and small forward position, which again would help the Cavaliers on the defensive end. He has long arms, active hands, and plays physical defense. After a poor defensive season last year, the Cavaliers could use an experienced, veteran defender like Sefolosha, who would scrap and play hard on a nightly basis.
Cleveland’s biggest weakness this past season was their defense. They need better wing defenders and tough players, who would be able to defend superstars the likes of Kevin Durant. With the Boston Celtics adding Gordon Hayward, these aforementioned players would help counter Boston’s move.
