So far in the early weeks of regular season NBA action, the Cleveland Cavaliers have gotten off to an uncharacteristically shaky start. The Cavs sub .500 record of 5-7 tells you all you need to know in contrast to the success they’ve enjoyed in recent years.
Though they are obviously missing some key players to injury, their problems run much deeper than that and it appears that they know it. The Cavs could be in the market for additional reinforcements to bolster their roster, specifically big men.
Two names that have dominated recent conversations are Jahlil Okafor and Greg Monroe. Both are clearly on the trade block and could be players Cleveland keeps tabs on. According to Cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon, out of the two, the Cavs have expressed more interest in Monroe as opposed to the younger Okafor:
The Cavs don’t currently view Jahlil Okafor as a fit. As for Greg Monroe, the interest in him would be higher, sources indicated to me. Monroe is 6-11 and 265 pounds, but he isn’t really a shot blocker (which Cleveland lacks). He’s a scorer (though, this season, he’s averaging just 6.8 points per game). The Cavs, though flawed, have a crowded rotation already, so pursuing Monroe in any way would probably follow or coincide with other roster changes.
With Tristan Thompson sidelined due to a nagging calf injury, their frontcourt rotation behind Jae Crowder and Kevin Love is starting to thin out. Adding Monroe would give them an immediate interior presence capable of posting nightly double-doubles if given the requisite playing time.
Monroe’s status is still very much up in the air after he was shipped to the Phoenix Suns as part of the Eric Bledsoe trade. It appears he’ll never suit up in Phoenix as the club has made it clear they plan to either trade him or buy out his contract.
Unlike the 21-year old Okafor, you know exactly what you’re getting in Greg Monroe. The veteran big can play either frontcourt position and is a rock solid scoring option that can make things happen out of the post for himself and for teammates.
The Georgetown product is also a terrific glass-cleaner but lacks exactly what Cleveland needs: defense. This current Cavs roster is laced with veteran one-way players, a description that Monroe fits to a tee.
While adding him will almost surely boost their scoring, that’s not necessarily something the Cavs need. Instead, they find themselves in dire need of some semblance of defense. However, the ability to play defense has to come internally since no one single player can fix their early-season woes. The Cavs bringing in Monroe would be slightly redundant when looking at their roster, especially since he would become of little value once Thompson makes his return to full health.
