OKLAHOMA CITY — When the Cavaliers lose this season, like they have in blowouts Sunday against Indiana and Thursday night’s debacle to the Thunder, the opponent wields distinct advantages in size and physicality on the perimeter.
The Cavs are still tied for the best record in the NBA, but are, nonetheless, trying to fix this recurring problem.
Executives from three franchises told The Athletic that Cleveland has expressed interest in acquiring 6-foot-8 forward Cam Johnson from the Brooklyn Nets — one of the most coveted players league wide in the trade market — with the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline fast approaching.
League sources with knowledge of Cleveland’s internal discussions say Johnson has been discussed as a potential target and say the franchise has done its due diligence in inquiring about the availability of Johnson. Rival team officials, however, believe the Cavs’ interest to be more serious than that.
Johnson, 28, is averaging a career-high 19.6 points and shooting 43 percent from 3-point range. His combination of size, athleticism and shooting ability would seem to fit well in the Cavs’ otherwise potent offensive attack and mitigate some of the size disadvantages of starting two shorter (but All-Star caliber) guards in Darius Garland (6-2, 195 pounds) and Donovan Mitchell (6-3, 215).
Johnson is under contract for two more seasons after this and is earning $22.5 million for the 2024-25 season. Cleveland has no interest in trading any member of its core, but could get to the money needed to match Johnson’s salary without disrupting its top eight players. The Cavs have a trove of second-round picks to offer but can’t trade a first-round pick until 2031.
The Cavs’ 134-114 loss to the Thunder was only the latest, but perhaps starkest, example of how teams built with length on the perimeter tend to smother them.
Luguentz Dort, a tenacious defender who is 6-4 and 220 pounds, frustrated Mitchell for the second consecutive game. Mitchell shot just 3 of 15 Thursday and was 6 of 31 in the two games between Cleveland and OKC in the last eight days. Dort also bombed his way to 22 points on six 3s.
Jalen Williams, who is 6-6 and 220 pounds, produced three steals and two blocks in addition to his 19 points. Alex Caruso, who is 6-5, added three steals off the bench, and of course Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, an MVP candidate, is a 6-6 point guard who glided his way to 40 points with two steals. The Cavs were forced into a season-worst 21 turnovers and shot 13 of 42 from 3-point range, well below their usual success rate.
“They’re long, kind of to your point,” Garland said, acknowledging the issue. “They’re always in the gaps defensively. … We have to bring the force.”
The Cavs started Dean Wade on the wing against the Thunder, who is 6-9 and is shooting 36 percent from 3-point range, but he is perhaps more suited coming off the bench as a stretch four. Isaac Okoro is 6-5 and has been in and out as a starter on the wing for the last few seasons. Wade contributed six points Thursday and Okoro shot 2 of 9 for seven points off the bench.
On Sunday in a 15-point loss to the Pacers, Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin (who are 6-5 and 6-6, respectively) suffocated the Cavs in the second half. Cleveland lost twice to the Hawks in November, struggling mightily against Dyson Daniels (6-8) and Jalen Johnson (6-9). The Cavs’ first loss, after 15 consecutive wins to start the season, was against two wings you may have heard of — Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
And in a December loss to the Heat, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Haywood Highsmith and Duncan Robinson are all taller than Cleveland’s guards. But it’s not just the height — it’s the opponent’s physicality on the perimeter that has, in these instances, bothered the Cavs.
“That’s totally fair,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. “They can pressure our guards, they can take us out and take us off our spots, push us out and. You know our penetration with their length. It’s kind of like the formula for great defenses in this league, but I agree with you, that’s been kind of the formula so far, and we’ve got to figure it out.”
Not only are the Cavs still tied with the Thunder for the league’s best record, but they have been a dominant offensive team all season. They entered Thursday’s game with the top-rated offense in the NBA and the second-highest-rated offense in league history. They led the league in shooting and 3-point shooting, and have two bigs in Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley who are excellent at rolling to the rim.
So this isn’t a situation of trying to repair a broken offense or even to try and fill a gaping hole by acquiring a more athletic, better shooting wing to complement Mitchell and Garland. It would be more like trying to bolster an otherwise deep, complementary roster for the playoffs, when the games slow and physicality increases — if the Cavs decide they want to break up the chemistry in their locker room at all. Their 15-0 start was one of the greatest in NBA history and as of last week they were 32-4.
There is the matter of putting together an offer that is better than anything else the Nets receive. Or the players could try to solve the equation themselves.
“We’ve done it,” Mitchell said. “This isn’t a loss where we hang our heads or tuck our tail between our legs. We just have to continue to do it against constant pressure. We’ve done it. We just have to look at the film and be better.”
(Photo of Donovan Mitchell and Cam Johnson: Jesse D. Garrabrant / NBAE via Getty Images)
