While most of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ attention has been on All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell and emerging big man Evan Mobley during the offseason, there’s still the matter of signing Isaac Okoro to a new deal or not. As it stands, the franchise’s stance on their 2020 draft pick has been revealed.
Born in 2001 in Atlanta, Okoro was raised close to the city and started playing basketball in his local church league from a young age. He played high school basketball at McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia, where he had a very successful career. The Cavaliers guard averaged impressive stats each season, helping his team win the state championship and achieve a national ranking his senior year. He was considered a five-star recruit by rivals and a four-star recruit by other services.
After his high school career, Okoro committed to play college basketball at Auburn University. He had a strong freshman season, being named to the All-SEC Second Team and the SEC All-Defensive Team. He then declared for the 2020 NBA Draft and was selected 5th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
He has played for the Cavaliers for the past three seasons, being named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2021. Okoro has also represented the United States internationally and has won a gold medal with the U17 national team.
Cleveland Cavaliers’ Stance on Isaac Okoro’s Contract Revealed
After playing four seasons in Cleveland, Okoro has entered the offseason as a restricted free agent. According to a report Michael Scotto wrote for Hoops Hype, the Cavs’ stance on their 2020 rookie has been revealed.
“Rival NBA teams believe the Cavaliers would match an offer sheet up to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception range. From Cleveland’s perspective, Okoro can earn roughly $10 million annually from the Cavaliers for some form of financial security in a multi-year deal while trying to avoid the luxury tax threshold.
Cleveland could start Okoro’s salary below $10 million and not have to trade any of their players while ducking the luxury tax. Ultimately, Cleveland can trade Okoro now and get value in return for him, agree to terms on a long-term deal, or Okoro can take the qualifying offer and leave next summer for nothing in return,” Scotto wrote.
Over the course of four seasons in the NBA, Okoro has averaged 8.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. He also boasts a 0.4 defensive box rating, making him a positive contributor on the end of the court, as opposed to a -2.7 rating on offense.
It remains to be seen what Cleveland will do with Okoro in the coming weeks, especially with the Brooklyn Nets being rumored to get him. In any case, the Cavs will have to do their due diligence first before making any moves.
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