Jeff Green is a huge addition for the Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers signed Jeff Green on Friday to add more depth to the rotation. What can he bring to the second unit?
The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to improve the bench.
On Friday, they agreed to sign forward Jeff Green to a one-year, $2.3 million deal. It was a minimum-level deal, but it will still be costly for the Cavaliers next season.
According to ESPN‘s Brian Windhorst, since the Cavs are in the repeater tax bracket, it’s going to cost them up to $8 million next year. They already have a payroll of $135 million — with $46 million in tax.
That’s A LOT of money.
Cavs have agreed with Jeff Green on a 2.3M l, 1-year minimum deal, sources say
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) July 7, 2017
They already tried to trade Iman Shumpert to the Houston Rockets to shed salary, but the Rox wanted no part of him and instead are hoping to land Carmelo Anthony from the New York Knicks.
It’s been a tough offseason for the Cavs to add players. They’ve already missed out on Jamal Crawford, Tyreke Evans, Vince Carter, Zach Randolph, Rudy Gay and others. Some players would have been unrealistic to sign, but those are some of the prominent names that went elsewhere that could have helped.
The signing of Green is the second player the Cavs have signed. They signed Jose Calderon a few weeks back, and also re-signed Kyle Korver. This is basically all they’ve done within free agency.
It’s nearly impossible when a club is hamstrung in salary to make the needed moves to improve. There was a general manager by the name of David Griffin who made it work, but that’s an article for a different day.
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Green brings versatility and size to the team. The Cavs have been trying to find more athletic two-way players since that’s what they were missing last season, especially in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.
He averaged 9.2 points per game last year with the Orlando Magic, which was the lowest since his first year with the Boston Celtics, where he averaged 9.8 points per game.
He’s been a journeyman throughout his career starting with the Seattle Supersonics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Celtics, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers and Magic. It’s not what most scouts and fans thought his career would turn out to be.
Green has been an underachiever. He’s always had the talent to be a superstar in the NBA, but he’s never been interested in taking his overall game to the next level.
Some have even said he cares more about checks than the actual opportunity to play in the league.
I don’t believe that.
Green will have the chance to play on a championship-caliber team for the first time since the Celtics in 2010. He averaged his career-best in points with them in 2014 at 17.6 points per game. He missed the entire 2011 season due to a heart condition, which has since been cleared.
I’m all about a player giving their all in every game no matter what, but in the case of Green, besides the Thunder and the Celtics, he was never on a team that had any real chance of going deep into the postseason.
He also never played for more than four years with a team.
Green will now have a chance to play an important role for the Cavs off the bench, and will be on a team that will likely be going back to the NBA Finals in the Eastern Conference. (Sorry not sorry, Boston.)
At times, Jeff Green looks like the star player that everybody saw at Georgetown. However, he also looks like he’s never played basketball in his life during others.
I think the LeBron James factor will play a big role in his development with the team. For years, James has brought out the best in any player. He’s brought the best out of Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, Shumpert, Shane Battier, Chris Bosh, etc. The list goes on-and-on.
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I have no doubt that his impact will bring out the best in Green as well. I’m not saying that it should take that for Green to perform, but having a veteran like James push him to the best of his ability is a huge advantage.
Heck, just being on a championship team should be enough.
Green can also be a threat on the defensive side of the ball. He’s a bit inconsistent, but when he’s focused, and motivated, he can frustrate opposing players. His length and long arms can be a nuisance.
He’s not a threat from three-point range, only shooting 33 percent for his career, but he can get hot from there, and make big shots. He’s more of a slashing forward that uses his strength and athleticism to get to the basket.
Head coach Tyronn Lue will have another forward besides Derrick Williams that he could use to give James or Kevin Love the night off. Green is only 30 years old, so age and fatigue won’t be a factor.
Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far
Jeff Green is not the answer to the Warriors’ attack, and the Cavaliers certainly need to make more moves, but he’s a great addition to the bench and will help the club throughout the season as they work on their quest for title No. 2.