The Cleveland Cavaliers have had a few free agent options available to them, but through six days of the NBA postseason, they’ve struck out and missed almost every intriguing option. To make matters worse, they’ve lost Timofey Mozgov to the Los Angeles Lakers and Matthew Dellavedova to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Cavs have to make some moves to at least improve their frontcourt, and the Miami Herald’s Ethan Skolnick is reporting that the Cavs could grab a former Miami Heat champion.
Former Heat watch… Hearing that Chris Andersen is an option in Cleveland
— Ethan J. Skolnick (@EthanJSkolnick) July 6, 2016
Known by his nickname “Birdman,” Andersen has been a very good rebounder and rim protector. He’s a little undersized at 6’10” for a center, but he plays like a dominant defensive center. For his career, Andersen averages 5.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game in just 17.8 minutes of action. His best year came when he averaged 6.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks for the Denver Nuggets in just 20.6 minutes per game. We won’t need Andersen to block shots at a high rate, but we’ll need him just to defend the basket against some of the NBA’s best.
Andersen’s last stint was with the Memphis Grizzlies, but he played with LeBron James and the Miami Heat where he won two championships in 2013 and 2014. If he decides to play with the Cavs, he would be a great, defensive-minded replacement for Timofey Mozgov. Birdman is close with LeBron since their days in South Beach and remains a prime candidate to land with the Cavs.
RELATED: Dwyane Wade Went To Chicago, But Took Care Of LeBron And The Cavs
The Cavs are expected to re-sign LeBron James very soon and have already reached an agreement with Richard Jefferson after acquiring Mike Dunleavy from Chicago. We can only hope J.R. Smith, who was crucial to what we did last year, is also planning to re-sign as soon as possible to bring back the core of this team.
