Cavs Definitely Involved In Some Trade Talks Centered On Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade

It’s time for the NBA draft and free agency, which means the Cavaliers are working the phones. Or at least taking calls. 

The names being mentioned most, as we’ve reported previously, belong to forward Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro. There’s a reason for that.

“There’s definitely been some conversations involving Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade,” Windhorst said. “To be honest with you, I don’t see a team right now that would be itching to take Isaac Okoro. Maybe if a team misses out in the draft or free agency and is looking for a defensive-based wing … That could play itself next week. But I’m not sure he’s going to be a team’s No. 1 option to trade for.”

Wade could perhaps garner some interest as well, but it sure doesn’t seem as if anything is imminent on that front, either.

“I think the Cavs will be looking for situations, looking for opportunities,” Windhorst said. “Just to be clear, just because I say that doesn’t mean they’re trying to get rid of Isaac Okoro. I think they’re just trying to figure out, ‘If we can make this trade to save money and keep Ty Jerome, do we do that? Do we maybe face losing Ty Jerome to keep this player?’

“This is the way the system is designed. The system is designed to squeeze high-dollar teams into losing talent. … One of the reasons the Cavs were able to get Ty Jerome, quite frankly, is because the Warriors were a super-high payroll team and couldn’t afford even the slightly above-minimum that the Cavs were offering.”

In other words, if the Cavs want to keep Jerome — and by all accounts, they do — they might have to create some room. Same goes for fellow unrestricted free agent guard Sam Merrill.

Wade, Okoro, or someone else could be a casualty of that.

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