The Cleveland Cavaliers could be players in the buyout market, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
Speaking with ESPN Cleveland Radio, Windhorst was asked about the possibility of the Cavs getting involved in the buyout market.
He started by outlining the type of player the Cavs are in the market for: a perimeter guard with size who can defend.
“Two guys who could be bought out that fit that bill are Lonzo Ball and Ben Simmons,” Windhorst said.
At 37-9, Cleveland has fallen a half-game behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best record in the league.
We are very carefully sharing this clip from @WindhorstESPN where he talks about the types of players the Cavs COULD be looking for in the buyout market….
“Two guys who could be bought out that fit that bill are Lonzo Ball and Ben Simmons,” – Windy. pic.twitter.com/2efZUgS0mp
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) January 28, 2025
Cavs In Need Of Upgrade?
As good as Cleveland has been this season, there is a legitimate question to be asked of whether there is enough perimeter defense on the roster to combat elite wing players.
Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell are both too small while Isaac Okoro’s ability to stay on the floor in the postseason will be tested with his offensive limitations. It’s asking a lot of Dean Wade.
Ball has revived his NBA career this season after two years out due to injury. He is as pesky as they come defensively and would instantly become the Cavs’ best perimeter defender. His 3-point shooting is down a tad bit at 34.8 percent relative to his career mark of 36.3 percent, but he will likely be the beneficiary of some quality looks in Cleveland’s high-powered offense.
Simmons is rarely going to shoot, offers no floor spacing and will have some playoff demons to cope with. His defense would be highly valued for how versatile he is but, even as a buyout candidate, there’d be questions over whether the juice is worth the squeeze.
Cavs’ Defense Floundering?
In case you hadn’t noticed, the Cavs are a disappointing 4-5 over the last nine games. There are bound to be lulls for every NBA team over the course of an 82-game season and Cleveland looks to be in one right now.
The issues have come on the defensive end of the floor. Through the first 37 games when the Cavs lost just four times, they had the ninth-best defensive rating to go along with the league’s best offense.
Over the last nine games, the Cavs’ defense has ranked fourth-worst in the league, allowing 119.7 points per-100 possessions. A big factor in that has been the absence of Evan Mobley, who missed four of those games due to a calf issue and didn’t quite look like himself when returning against the Houston Rockets.
Making matters worse, Wade suffered a right knee injury on Jan. 24 against the Philadelphia 76ers and could be out through the All-Star Break.
