The Cleveland Cavaliers appear to be on their way to shoring up their forward depth, with Shams Charania of ESPN reporting that the Cavs have plans to ink Javonte Green to a contract once the veteran wing clears the waivers following a release from the New Orleans Pelicans.
“New Orleans Pelicans forward Javonte Green has agreed to a contract buyout and intends to sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers upon clearing waivers, sources tell ESPN. Additional wing depth for the East-best Cavs,” Charania shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday night.
The 31-year-old Green signed a one-year deal worth $2.43 million with the Pelicans in 2024 and appeared in 50 games, including 18 starts, with New Orleans in the 2024-25 campaign.
In those games, Green, who played college ball with the Radford Highlanders, put up averages of 5.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 0.9 assists while shooting 44.6 percent from the floor and making 35.2 percent of his attempts from behind the arc. He scored a season-high 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field in a 112-108 loss at home to the Golden State Warriors last November. For what it’s worth, Green scored 20 points, grabbed five boards and recorded three steals in two games versus the Cavs this season.
Apart from the Pelicans, Green also played for the Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics. In 245 career NBA games, Green has averaged 5.5 points and 3.2 rebounds with a 57.9 true shooting percentage.
The looming addition of Green to the Cavaliers roster further shows Cleveland’s desire to improve the team despite already being one of the best in the NBA.
The Cavs, who entered the 2025 NBA All-Star break with a 44-10 record — best in the Eastern Conference and tied for No. 1 overall in the league — turned heads with a big move ahead of the trade deadline, acquiring former Virginia Cavaliers star De’Andre Hunter from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for a package that included Caris LeVert and Georges Niang.
