Turkish international Cedi Osman will sign a three-year, $8.5 million contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to beIN Sports Turkey.
A 6-foot-8, 190-pound small forward, Osman has been rumored of joining the Cavs for the better part of this last season, finally coming to fruition within the first two weeks of the free agency period.
Born in Macedonia of Turkish and Bosnian parents, Osman first impressed during an appearance in the Jordan Brand Classic in 2011, going toe-to-toe with the likes of Andrew Wiggins and Mario Hezonja and finishing with an impressive line of 14 points, five rebounds, three assists and six steals in 27 minutes, per DraftExpress.
Despite his young age, he is well-seasoned in competition, having played for Efes Pilsen in Sarajevo and even invited to the Turkish senior national team for the FIBA championships, where he carved up a small role off the bench after standing out in several U20 competitions.
Osman’s biggest attribute is his basketball IQ, still possessing a fragile frame for his position and fitting the European stereotype of a not-so-athletic prospect. He’s aggressive cutting and attacking the basket, as well as running the break — a task that has become a must in his role with his former team Anadolu Efes.
The Turkish international is very much a work in progress, with a hitch in his jump shot and a sub-par ability to create his own offense or make pull-up jump shots — a necessity in the NBA. Yet with coaching and an adjustment period, he could settle in as a decent role player in the league.
The Cavs now have made four offseason moves, signing Kyle Korver, Jose Calderon, Jeff Green, and Osman to deals this summer. The organization still looks for a replacement in the front office — task which has proved more time-consuming than expected.
