Cleveland - Isaac Okoro

[louc1970]

What contract value do you assign to Okoro? $10M, $15M, $20M a year?

IHe shot 39% from 3 this year and is a tremendous defender.

[chrbal]

He should sign his qualifying offer, that’s about where his market is right now. Take the risk, try to evolve his game so he can try again next offseason as an unrestricted free agent.

[K_chile22]

I mean given what highsmith, Fontecchio and Martin got I have a hard time seeing him get an offer above his QO in year 1

[toooskies]

If you look at Okoro as Dillon Brooks without the swag and better shot selection at the expense of fewer shots, he looks pretty good for $20m a year or so.

If you look at Okoro as Jaden McDaniels but more of a 1-3 defender than a 1-5 defender due to less length, that's interesting.

I think because Okoro has nominally been moved to the bench in favor of more 3-pt volume (although he's often moved into the starting lineup), he's been downgraded below those two players in terms of actual defensive ability. Okoro didn't make the required cutoff for all-defensive team voting because while he played in 69 games, he played fewer than 20 minutes in 10 of them. (He likely would not have received more than a few token votes.)

Ultimately I have Okoro's current production valued at a shade below Brooks' $20m annually and McDaniels' deal which starts at $22.5m next year and escalates. I have him worth around where Avdija came to agreement last year (starting at $15m and descending) before Avdija broke out.

But like McDaniels and Avdija, you might add some value to the contract where Okoro has some progress potential. Okoro might go up another level as a shooter the way he has made progress every year into becoming an ideal 3-and-D SG. The issue being that the Cavs already have a bunch of SGs and Okoro keeps getting bumped to SF, so maybe he's another case that's common on the Cavs' roster where the player's potential isn't met because they're in a poor context.

All that's to say that Okoro might be a $20m player to some team but to the Cavs, he's probably a $12-15m player that they won't be putting in his ideal context while both Mitchell and Garland are on the team.

That makes a sign-and-trade an attractive option, particularly if the Cavs can cut a little bit of salary in the process and duck under the tax.

Okoro + Niang for DFS + a filler contract would be a good timeline/position adjustment for both teams.

[Godaddycurse]

Detroit should offer sheet him and dare Cleveland to match/go in the tax

[Clav]

4/60 in the range of what SF Aaron Wiggins just signed sounds about right.

[toooskies]

Detroit should offer sheet him and dare Cleveland to match/go in the tax

After claiming Paul Reed, Detroit has less space on their cap than Okoro's current QO. They'd have to make room.

For them to actually pressure the Cavs, they'd have to make it so that dumping somebody like Georges Niang on the Jazz isn't enough to get them out of the tax.

Detroit also has enough competition and motivation to develop their wing personnel that Okoro may not want to go there.

[bgrep14]

Caleb Martin got 4/32 so I doubt a team offers him more than the QO probably max 4/50. No way I'd pay Okoro more given his historic production as he was almost unplayable in the playoffs. I'd personally love to trade him for a SF with more length ideally unless the Cavs could move Niang for Thybulle or something.

[jbk1234]

Okoro might benefit from playing on a team with better spacing, but the reality is he's pretty limited offensively against good defenders or good defensive teams. Against good defensive teams, you're going to be playing 4 on 5 on offense.

I'm a bit more skeptical about him breaking out as he's had opportunities due to injuries and couldn't produce when needed. He's a straight line player who relies on his athleticism to drive. His handle, while marginally improved since his rookie year, is still too shaky against good defenders.

Defensively, he's elite as a POA defender against guards, but gives up too much height against taller SFs and that separates him from some of the taller comps I'm seeing in this thread.

I'd think long and hard about matching any offer in excess of the MLE if I ran the Cavs. I'd be all the way out on anything north of $15M. If you can get 80% of what Okoro can give at 50% of that money, and I think you can, it's the better way to go when every million counts and you're a playoff team.

[Godaddycurse]

Detroit should offer sheet him and dare Cleveland to match/go in the tax

After claiming Paul Reed, Detroit has less space on their cap than Okoro's current QO. They'd have to make room.

For them to actually pressure the Cavs, they'd have to make it so that dumping somebody like Georges Niang on the Jazz isn't enough to get them out of the tax.

Detroit also has enough competition and motivation to develop their wing personnel that Okoro may not want to go there.

They have up to 19M in room per keith

[jbk1234]

Detroit should offer sheet him and dare Cleveland to match/go in the tax

After claiming Paul Reed, Detroit has less space on their cap than Okoro's current QO. They'd have to make room.

For them to actually pressure the Cavs, they'd have to make it so that dumping somebody like Georges Niang on the Jazz isn't enough to get them out of the tax.

Detroit also has enough competition and motivation to develop their wing personnel that Okoro may not want to go there.

They have up to 19M in room per keith

They can create $19M if they use their room exception to re-sign Fontechillo (my math says they'd be a little short of the $16M they announced). If they go that route, they'll actually be $7M over the cap when it's all said and done and their roster will be locked.

Now, I'm sure the Cavs will be open to a S&T, even if it's just Reed coming back, if they need to offer $19M to get Okoro to sign the offer sheet. I'm just convinced the Pistons want to offer that much.

[jayjaysee]

Yeah, for Detroit I’d sign him to 4yr60.

For Utah, I’d probably see how much it costs to open up another 8-10 million in cap space (dump some of Collins or Clarkson) and then give him 15 mil and keep Lauri’s 24 million..

Feels like a much better pairing with Sexton/George..

[Tim Lehrbach]

I've always liked Okoro. But it's hard to put a stable price on 3ish-and-D types. He's somewhere between Thybulle, who got 11 million per year, and McDaniels, who got 26. That's a huge range.

[JKiddy]

If CLE sends Okoro and a 1st rounder to BK for DFS and Okoro gets a 2 year deal worth the same as DFS for this coming season would that trade be fine based on the apron rules?

[jbk1234]

If CLE sends Okoro and a 1st rounder to BK for DFS and Okoro gets a 2 year deal worth the same as DFS for this coming season would that trade be fine based on the apron rules?

There won't be any first attached. I'm not 100% sure that DFS is better than Okoro at this point in his career. DFS is 8 years older and shot substantially worse from 3 last season. Also, the trade would put the Cavs in the tax and we'd have to pay dump Niang as a result.

[BlazersBroncos]

If CLE sends Okoro and a 1st rounder to BK for DFS and Okoro gets a 2 year deal worth the same as DFS for this coming season would that trade be fine based on the apron rules?

There won't be any first attached. I'm not 100% sure that DFS is better than Okoro at this point in his career. DFS is 8 years older and shot substantially worse from 3 last season. Also, the trade would put the Cavs in the tax and we'd have to pay dump Niang as a result.

Ya, I dont see why CLE would go for DFS over Okoro - and adding a FRP is just absurd.

[JKiddy]

Hypothetical:

If DFS helps you win 5 games in the regular season you would not with Okoro and DFS helps you advance one extra round (Conference Finals to Finals) in the playoffs than Okoro then what is he worth to CLE? This is a hypo. But, I would like to know. I think CLE is figuring this out right now.

[jayjaysee]

If CLE sends Okoro and a 1st rounder to BK for DFS and Okoro gets a 2 year deal worth the same as DFS for this coming season would that trade be fine based on the apron rules?

Sign and trades have to be 3 years, though if you pay him enough - I’m sure Okoro takes a team option on the third year (probably means 18ish a year?)

But there’s no reason to add a first in an Okoro/DFS swap.

I could see..

Clarkson and the worst 2025 first (Minn/Cleve) to Brooklyn
DFS and a vet min (Bazley?) to Cleveland
14 mil first year for Okoro and Niang to Utah

That’s a 2 year tank leader and a first for DFS. Feels like a win.

That should still leave all of Lauri’s money untouched. But Utah paying a first to dump Clarkson and then still ending up with Niang feels off to me.

[jbk1234]

Hypothetical:

If DFS helps you win 5 games in the regular season you would not with Okoro and DFS helps you advance one extra round (Conference Finals to Finals) in the playoffs than Okoro then what is he worth to CLE? This is a hypo. But, I would like to know. I think CLE is figuring this out right now.

There's no evidence that DFS, since being traded to the Nets, is more impactful than Okoro. At least not in a positive sense.

If Okoro helps shore up what was a disastrous defense for the Nets, and helps them win an additional 5+ games, can the Cavs get a first?

[JKiddy]

The Nets do not want to win next season. They are making sure of that until at minimum 2025-2026 after that summer's draft and FA.