Cleveland Cavaliers: 2016 Offseason Grades
Jefferson Rejoins
Heading into the offseason, the 36-year-old Richard Jefferson had his chance to ride off into the sunset. The 15-year veteran had just won his first NBA championship, he had played the part of hero/X-factor in the Finals by filling in for Kevin Love as a starter, and it felt like the perfect way to conclude the final chapter of his career.
Instead, the Cavs front office convinced him to stave off retirement for another two years with a $5 million bargain deal.
So...Richard Jefferson's retirement lasted, oh, 17 days haha.
— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) July 7, 2016
Though Jefferson only averaged 5.5 points in 17.9 minutes per game for Cleveland last season, he shot 38.2 percent from three-point range and wound up playing a major role in bringing the Cavaliers their first NBA championship.
In the Finals, Jefferson’s numbers barely spiked to 5.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, but he shot 51.6 percent from the floor, and between his defense and the threat he posed by putting the ball on the floor as a small-ball 4, he made Cleveland a tougher matchup than when they had Love out there.
For a team that lost both Dellavedova and Timofey Mozgov this summer, bringing Jefferson back was a low-key but important move for Cleveland’s depth. Doing so on such a minuscule contract just makes it that much sweeter, even if his production will probably dwindle over the next two years.
Grade: B+
Next: The Return Of The King