The Cavaliers’ early playoff exit shocked many around the NBA, and with massive extensions for All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley set to kick in this summer, Cleveland is approaching a crucial offseason.
While a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade could significantly alter the Cavs’ franchise trajectory, the most likely outcome is that the team will “run it back” with the Core Four of Mitchell, Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen. That places an extra emphasis on free agency and the acquisition of quality role-players.
Cleveland is projected to land in the second apron, which would financially restrict the moves that the Cavaliers could make. In an article for Clutch Points on Tuesday, NBA writer Jedd Pagaduan highlighted four potential free agents that make sense for the Cavs and could help the team advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Perhaps the most intriguing candidate is 6-foot-8 forward Guerschon Yabusele, who was drafted in 2016 but played overseas for five seasons. Yabusele starred for the French National Team in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, leading to a contract with the Sixers last offseason.
The big man played significantly better than his last NBA stint in 2019, setting career highs with 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game on 50.1% shooting. Yabusele also shot 38.0% from deep and started 43 games in Philadelphia, appearing in 70. His addition, while unlikely due to financial limitations, could provide depth to Cleveland’s frontcourt.
“In the 2025 NBA playoffs, there were plenty of stretches where the Cavs opted to sit Allen, going small instead to match the Pacers’ pace and to allow them to cover more ground defensively,” Pagaduan said. “Perhaps adding another big who is versatile defensively and can even make open jump shots could help the Cavs.”
Pagaduan also listed former No. 1 overall draft pick Ben Simmons and sharpshooting wing Jake LaRavia as free agent options for Cleveland. Simmons has not been the same player since suffering a back injury that kept him out for the entire 2021-22 season, but the 6-foot-10 forward still shot 52.0% from the field in 2024-25 and could add more size to Cleveland’s bench. The same goes for 6-foot-8 LaRavia, who made a career-best 42.3% of his three-point attempts this year.
Ty Jerome rounds out the list, despite playing for the Cavs the past two seasons. The 27-year-old guard broke out for Cleveland in 2024-25, posting a career-high 12.5 points per game off the bench with a 43.9% clip from deep.
“As an unrestricted free agent, Jerome could perhaps decide to sign with a team that offers more money than Cleveland can,” Pagaduan said. “But there is merit to Jerome staying with the Cavs. After all, this is where he found his big break, and his comfort level in head coach Kenny Atkinson’s system should play a huge role in his decision.”
The NBA’s free agency period begins on June 30.
