NBA Free Agent Rumors: Cleveland Cavaliers Should Consider Signing Jermaine O'Neal or Michael Beasley
The Cleveland Cavaliers enter 2015 with a lot of front court issues.
Brazilian big man Anderson Varejão is out for the season with a torn Achilles, Kevin Love is battling back spasms and knee pain, and Lebron James is out for two weeks.
The Cavaliers are still 19-14, but a lot of fans are becoming worried about the defensive. Recent reports had the Cavaliers interested in Los Angeles Lakers big men Jordan Hill and Robert Sacre. The Lakers are just 10-23, and they could make a deal before the NBA trade deadline, which is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 19.
If the Cavaliers are unable to make a trade, there are options in free agency.
Two players the Cavaliers should consider adding to their team are Jermaine O'Neal and Michael Beasley.
O'Neal last played for the Golden State Warriors last season. He may have only played 44 games, but O'Neal did shoot an impressive 50.4 percent from the field. O'Neal also made 75 percent of his free throws last season, while grabbing 9.9 rebounds per 36 minutes. The Cavaliers could negotiate with O'Neal for a short-term, low-cost contract.
The Cavaliers currently rank 14th in points allowed, but that number is slowly rising without James and Varejão on the court.
O'Neal may be 36 years old, but the six-time All-Star could provide excellent bench minutes in relief for Love. With 18 years and more than 1,100 games of NBA experience, O'Neal could bring a lot of veteran leadership to a squad that presently lacks an identity. Head coach David Blatt hasn't always been on the same terms with his players this year.
As weak as the Eastern Conference is, the Cavaliers are now in fifth place behind the Washington Wizards, Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors. Adding O'Neal to the roster before the Dallas Mavericks do may be a very wise decision.
Another option for the Cavaliers may be Michael Beasley.
It's a risk, but it does have rewards. Beasley was a standout at Kansas State and was drafted No. 2 overall by the Miami Heat in 2008. Beasley has played for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns as well. An average scorer, Beasley is still just 25 years old, and he's a physical player who will grab important rebounds as well.
On the other hand, Beasley has had a number of issues off the court. Numerous drug offenses and a few other incidents have scared away NBA general managers. Beasley is currently a member of the Shanghai Sharks, the China-based basketball team that Yao Ming once played for. Acquiring Beasley wouldn't be hard, but it would certainly be a bigger risk than O'Neal.
Future Hall of Fame shooting guard Ray Allen is still a free agent, but recent reports have indicated he may choose to retire after all.
Former No. 2 overall pick and Rookie of the Year Emeka Okafor is also a free agent. Okafor averages 9.8 rebounds and 12.3 points per game, but injuries kept him out all of last season. The 6-foot-10 center still doesn't know when he will return this season.
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