Wednesday morning marked the end of an era for the NBA. After 37 long years in the sports media industry, Adrian Wojnarowski finally decided to call it quits, saying that the commitment required to be one of the premier sources of breaking news in the basketball world isnāt something heās still capable of giving. If this is truly the end, then what a special coincidence for Wojnarowskiās last āWoj Bombā to involve the Cleveland Cavaliers.
On Saturday afternoon, Wojnarowski tweeted out that the Cavs have finally come to terms on a contract agreement with restricted free agent Isaac Okoro. The two sides agreed upon a three-year, $38 million deal, putting a stop to the two sidesā contract negotiation stalemate. Little did everyone know at the time that this was the final Woj Bomb that the veteran NBA insider will release into the world.
Even Okoro himself took notice of this, relishing the fact that Wojnarowskiās career ended on a note involving him and the Cavs.
āLast Woj Bomb š¤·š¾āāļø #LetEmKnow,ā Okoro wrote on his official account on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Wojnarowski has broken plenty of news in his time, and he has seen plenty of big names in the NBA come and go. Thus, it is certainly an honor to be involved in the final Woj Bomb ā perhaps ever. Okoro now has that going for him. But can he emerge as more than just a role player for the Cavs now that he has gotten himself his huge payday?
Will Isaac Okoro finally have a breakout season?
The Cavs have had such high hopes for Isaac Okoro ever since they selected him with the fifth overall pick of the 2020 NBA Draft. However, Okoro hasnāt exactly blossomed into anything more than a fifth starter who warrants few touches. Okoroās offensive game remains very limited to mostly catch-and-shoots as well as easy baskets around the hoop via cuts.
Okoro hasnāt exactly been a bust for the Cavs, but he hasnāt exactly yielded the results any team would prefer to get from a high lottery pick. The good news is that the 2023-24 season was a step in the right direction for Okoro. He shot a career-best 39.1 percent from beyond the arc, albeit on 3.1 attempts per game.
The good news is that Okoro is only 23 years old, and the Cavs front office clearly has belief that he could blossom into a more complete 3-and-D player to supplement the teamās core four of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen.
Surveying the state of the Cavs roster
With Isaac Okoro back on the roster, it will be interesting to monitor which player new head coach Kenny Atkinson starts at the three. The Cavs can always opt to start Max Strus for more offensive juice, but with Garland and Mitchell already not being the most stout defensive backcourt, Okoro could once again receive the majority of starts at the three like he did last season (he started 42 games last year).
Of course, the Cavs could give Okoro a short leash if his offensive shortcomings cramp the teamās spacing even more while the pairing of Mobley and Allen continue to try and make their twin-tower setup work. Behind Okoro, the Cavs have Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, and Dean Wade, among others, to soak up minutes at the forward positions, giving the team plenty of insurance.
