Despite having great bench players, the Cleveland Cavaliers didn't exactly have a very productive bench, especially not in the playoffs. LeBron James had to carry most of the load, and as a consequence, the Cavaliers were beaten in the NBA Finals once again.
In order to be competitive and have a chance to beat the Golden State Warriors next season, the Cavaliers will have to improve their bench. They need reliable backups who won't lose a lead when the starters are resting, which was a big problem for Cleveland last season. In this article, we will count down five great bench players who could help the Cavaliers out.
Terrence Ross
Terrence Ross is a perfect backup small forward and he'd be great on the Cavaliers. He is only 26 and has two more years left on his contract, which means that the only way for him to join the Cavaliers would be through a trade. Ross is an athletic forward who can also shoot well from the long range.
He will be paid $10.5 million next season and there's a chance that the Orlando Magic would accept Iman Shumpert for Ross trade.
Willie Reed
Willie Reed had a great season with the Miami Heat and he decided to opt out of his contract for the next season. There is no doubt that Reed's performances increased his value and he will be one of the best backup players available on the market.
Cleveland Cavaliers struggle with rebounding and Reed is one of the best rebounders off the bench. He can also be a starter as he averaged 14.8 points and 8.2 rebounds as a starter last season. Reed wouldn't mind playing for a championship contender, so the Cavaliers could and should sign him.
Robert Covington
Covington has played for the Philadelphia 76ers for three years and even though he's a great player, he couldn't do much as the Sixers were tanking in each of these years.
With Ben Simmons coming back for the Sixers, Covington will most most likely be benched, and that is why the Cavaliers should trade for him.
Being a bench player on a championship-contending team is not a bad thing, but bench a backup on a lottery team isn't something special. Covington has one more year left on his contract and will be paid just under $1.1 million next season.
Al-Farouq Aminu
Aminu is a versatile forward who could play at either the three or the four for the Cavaliers. He can score from the paint as well as shoot threes, and he's an above-average rebounder, which Cleveland definitely needs.
Just like the Cavaliers, the Trail Blazers are already above the salary cap for the next season, so they might be looking to trade some of their players to make the situation better. Aminu will be paid $7.3 million next season and $7 million the season after.
Michael Beasley
Beasley appeared in 56 games for the Milwaukee Bucks last season and he was actually very good. The forward averaged 9.4 points per game on 53.2 percent shooting from the field and 41.9 percent from the long range.
He is now a free agent and could be one of the hottest targets in the free agency.
If the Cavaliers sign him, Michael Beasley would once again play with LeBron James. Two of them played for the Miami Heat in 2014 and there's a chance that Beasley could find a home in Cleveland and stay there for a long term.
