The Cleveland Cavaliers may be targeting some members of the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming off their third consecutive season where they missed out on the NBA Playoffs. Of course, that should come as no shock, considering that was ever since LeBron James left Cleveland to join the Los Angeles Lakers. This summer, could the Cavaliers pry away some of James’ teammates through free agency?
In his latest article, Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor was asked about the best potential free-agent targets are for the Cavaliers. After listing T.J. McConnell of the Indiana Pacers, Fedor names Lakers players Alex Caruso and Talen Horton-Tucker as targets.
“Any potential free agency list should start with Indiana’s T.J. McConnell and Los Angeles pest Alex Caruso,” writes Fedor. “Both are Cavs targets. Both fit really well. Some prefer Caruso. He’s younger, bigger, stronger and can guard multiple spots. Others like McConnell more. Even though he doesn’t shoot many 3s, he’s more polished, capable of filling in as starter, puts pressure on the rim and was the league’s total steals leader.”
Could Cavaliers target Lakers players Alex Caruso and Talen Horton-Tucker this summer?
While the Cavaliers may be interested in both players, that does not mean that they are likely to head over to Cleveland.
First off, Horton-Tucker is a restricted free agent, which means the Lakers have the right to match any offer from other teams. Not to mention that the organization reportedly thinks so highly of him, that they declined to include him in a trade package to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Kyle Lowry.
This season, his first in full with the Lakers, Horton-Tucker averaged 9.0 points, 2.8 assists and 2.6 rebounds a night while shooting 45.8 percent from the field through 65 games (four starts).
As for Caruso, it is up for him to decide if he wants to leave the Lakers for another team. Through 58 games (six starts) this past season, Caruso averaged 6.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 21.0 minutes per game while shooting 43.6 percent from the field. In his four years with the Lakers, Caruso recorded an average of 5.9 points, 2.4 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game while posting a field goal percentage of 42.9 percent.
The Lakers enter an important offseason after being ousted in the first round of the NBA Playoffs by the Phoenix Suns. Now, they have to decide who they want to keep among their 11 impending free agents, including Caruso and Horton-Tucker. Whatever the case may be, the Cavaliers may very well look to swoop both players up and away from the Lakers.