The Cleveland Cavaliers‘ roster for the upcoming 2022-23 season looks just about set, but there could always be one or two tweaks left before training camp starts over two months from now.
After signing veteran center Robin Lopez, the frontcourt rotation looks very solid, with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen starting and Lopez and Kevin Love coming off the bench to play backup center.
However, one could argue the Cavs could use one more big forward off the bench for depth and insurance, especially given Love’s history of getting injured.
In addition, the team could use one more veteran, given that it is one of the NBA’s youngest teams.
There are only a few free agents still available at this point of the offseason, but there is one who may be a decent option for Cleveland: Markieff Morris.
Morris Is A Proven Veteran
Morris has been in the NBA for 11 seasons and has plenty of experience that he could offer to an up-and-coming team such as the Cavs.
He started his career with the Phoenix Suns near the end of the Steve Nash era, and he has played with a total of six different teams over the years.
At 6-foot-9 and 245 pounds, Morris is not afraid to mix it up in the paint, and he has actually gotten into a few incidents over time.
Markieff Morris and Boogie got into it. pic.twitter.com/efgRrnMbLZ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 11, 2021
He may not be a great 3-point shooter percentage-wise, but he can get hot when needed.
When he won the NBA championship in 2020, Morris shot 42.0 percent from beyond the arc in 21 postseason games, and in three of those games, he hit at least four treys, despite playing just 18.3 minutes per game.
He is also a dependable rebounder who has a career average of 5.2 boards in 24.8 minutes per game, and he can adequately defend big bodies, especially coming off the bench, which would put him against second-stringers more often than not.
Morris’ championship experience could be invaluable to a young Cavs squad that hasn’t made the playoffs yet and has a lack of experience deep in the postseason.
On their current roster, only Love has been to the NBA Finals.
It is often seasoned veterans such as Morris who help a young team get over the hump.
The One Caveat
Cleveland currently has 15 players on its roster, which means it would have to get rid of a player in order to sign Morris.
It is currently weighing whether to re-sign guard Collin Sexton, who is reportedly looking for a contract that would pay him at least $80 million over four years.
In order to keep Sexton, the Cavs may have to get rid of one or two players to be able to afford his new contract.
#Cavs RFA Collin Sexton seeking a 3-4 year deal worth up to $80M, his representatives say. Cleveland would have to find ways to create cap space to sign him to this kind of deal.
Cedi Osman and Dylan Windler seem to be the ones that would go if Cavs want to keep Sexton.
— Tim Larson (@TimLarsonSports) July 15, 2022
It is the type of situation that could create the roster spot that could be used to also sign Morris, should the Cavs actually have interest in him and should Morris want to relocate to The Land for a season.
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