The Cleveland Cavaliers had, by all accounts, a very successful offseason. They managed to sign star guard Donovan Mitchell to a three-year contract extension and they also came to terms to a huge rookie extension with franchise cornerstone Evan Mobley. It may have taken them some time, but the Cavs also managed to sign Isaac Okoro to a new deal worth a reasonable amount.
However, the Cavs recognized that they may have needed a bit more firepower on both ends of the floor if they were to crack the upper-echelon of contending teams in the Eastern Conference. To that end, they seriously considered signing Miles Bridges in free agency, although in the end, they did not have the financial capability to lure him away from the Charlotte Hornets, the team that re-signed Bridges on a three-year, $75 million deal.
Bridges, in an interview with Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer, revealed that the Cavs, along with the Los Angeles Clippers, legitimately entertained the idea of adding him to the team.
“Yeah, the Clippers are a great organization. They wanted me, the (Cleveland) Cavaliers wanted me. But at the same time I was just trying to see what was the best fit for me, and what would make me and my family happy,” Bridges said.
In the end, the Cavs prioritized keeping Mitchell and Mobley for the long haul, as well as maintaining enough financial flexibility to retain Okoro over the splashy addition of Bridges. Bridges could have stepped in and become the starting small forward for the Cavs, giving them impressive size and athleticism in the frontcourt, but it would have stretched the Cavs’ finances too thin.
Passing up on the opportunity to sign Bridges may not be the worst outcome in the world for the Cavs. He may have averaged 21/7/3 last season on 46/35/83 shooting splits, but he comes with plenty of baggage due to his domestic violence issues that began in 2022. The Cavs should be a solid enough team even without Bridges, and it’s not as if he’ll be player that gets them over the hump.
The Cavs will be alright without Miles Bridges
Miles Bridges would have given the Cavs another explosive scorer who can work with or without the basketball. At 6’7″, he possesses the ideal size for a wing — the position he would have played had he signed for Cleveland.
But even without Bridges, the Cavs should be alright. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland figure to commandeer most of the touches for the team anyway, while Evan Mobley should be given the opportunity to spread his wings on the offensive end of the court, especially considering the team’s financial commitment to him moving forward.
What the Cavs need from a fifth starter is someone who can defend, space the floor, and do his job without much fuss. That makes Max Strus and Isaac Okoro the ideal fifth member of the starting lineup, as those two are workmanlike in the way they embrace their limited role in the offense.
Bridges would have been more ideal for the Clippers. For one, the Clippers have proven that they don’t exactly care about a player’s baggage off the court as long as they can contribute on the court. The signings of Josh Primo, Kai Jones, and Kevin Porter Jr. prove that. And the Clippers need another explosive scorer following the departure of Paul George, making Bridges a logical replacement.
