Cleveland Cavaliers opened a roster spot by waiving DeAndre Liggins and they will use it to sign Dahntay Jones. Jones is a 36-year old swingman who last played for the Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA playoffs. Even though he is not a star player, Jones will help the Cavaliers with their experience and they will most likely need him more off the court than on it.
On April 13 last year, the Cavaliers signed Dahntay Jones for the remainder of the season. He ended up playing in one regular season game and he also appeared in 15 playoff games. While it's true that his impact on the court wasn't that great, Jones provided the Cavaliers with his veteran leadership, and that will probably be his role on the team once again.
Jones was chosen by the Cavaliers despite them being able to sign Anderson Varejao, who could arguably have much more impact on the team, on and off the floor.
Cleveland Cavaliers will indeed sign veteran wing Dahntay Jones with final roster opening, league source tells ESPN. @Chris_Reichert first.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) April 11, 2017
Dahntay Jones won't have a big role on the Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers decided to sign Jones for his experience and also as a safety precaution. Considering that they have dealt with numerous injuries this season, the Cavaliers need to have a deep bench that will step up if one of the starters gets injured and has to miss a few games. Jones is capable of playing at a shooting guard and a small forward position, so the Cavaliers can use him to replace multiple players.
In his only regular-season with Cleveland, Jones scored 13 points and he also grabbed 5 rebounds. During the playoffs, he only averaged 3.3 minutes per game and was used mostly in blowout games when the Cavaliers didn't have to outscore their opponents.
Jones is exactly what the Cavaliers need
Cleveland Cavaliers don't need more star players as their roster is loaded with superstars.
LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love are an amazing trio, and Cavaliers' bench is one of the best benches in the entire league, if not the best. They need a player with strong locker room presence and someone who can be a leader. Jones will never replace James as a team leader, but he can definitely help the team keep their cool when things are not going well.
The Cavaliers have struggled to win games recently and according to some rumors, they have locker room issues. While it might not be true, there is no doubt that Jones' presence can help them become even a better team. They are on a quest to defend the championship title and will need any help they can get, on or off the court. Dahntay Jones is a perfect player for Cleveland, and they should get benefits from him right after they sign him.
