The Cleveland Cavaliers have agreed to a three-year, $38 million deal with Isaac Okoro, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. Okoro was a restricted free agent, which meant he was always likely to return to Cleveland, but it took a bit longer than expected for the two sides to come to an agreement. Okoro was the last remaining restricted free agent on the market.
Okoro, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, has spent his entire career with the Cavaliers. A defensive specialist, he averaged 9.4 points, three rebounds and 1.9 assists last season, starting 42 games along the way.
Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of Okoro’s 2023-24 campaign was that he shot a career-high 39.1% on 3.1 3-point attempts per game. He still needs to become a more willing shooter, but if he’s a legitimate threat from the outside that teams have to respect, it’s much easier for the Cavs to have him out there and take advantage of his defensive ability.
Securing Okoro’s signature was the latest bit of work in a busy summer for the Cavaliers.
Shortly after they were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the eventual champion Boston Celtics, they fired head coach JB Bickerstaff in a move everyone saw coming. Then, in June, they hired veteran coach Kenny Atkinson as his replacement.
On the player side, they agreed to a three-year, $150 million extension with Donovan Mitchell, a five-year, $224 million extension with Evan Mobley and a three-year, $91 million extension with Jarrett Allen. Add in Darius Garland, who got an extension in 2022, and Okoro, and the Cavaliers’ core is secured for the future.
Now, they’ll set about trying to build on the last two seasons. In 2023, they made the playoffs for the first time since LeBron James‘ second departure, and last season they won a playoff series without James for the first time since 1993. Can they get to an conference final, or perhaps beyond? They have the talent to do so, especially if Mobley improves on the offensive end, but will have a lot of challengers in a top-heavy Eastern Conference.
