Isaac Okoro Is Entering His Most Important Season Ever

The Cleveland Cavaliers made a splash this summer when they signed Max Strus to a four-year deal worth $62.3 million.

The sharpshooter represents a theoretical solution to Cleveland’s continuous wing problem they deal with all of last season, as they failed to find a proper bridge between their frontline of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley to their backcourt of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell.

However, even with Strus in place, the Cavs still have another piece waiting in the wings who could turn the wing position into one of strength.

Former fifth overall pick, Isaac Okoro, is slowly but surely being molded into a long-term three-and-D for the Cavs. Last season, Okoro finally moved out of the backcourt that had otherwise been his home for the first two seasons of his career, and spent 73% of his minutes at the small forward position.

In addition to a change in position, Okoro spent considerable time in the corners, as a more dedicated three-point shooter.

85.4% of his three-point attempts came from those areas, and while the results were pedestrian (37.7% accuracy on essentially wide-open shots) the plan of carving out a sustainable role for Okoro is a good one.

During his first two seasons, Okoro was all over the place, and didn’t have a solidified role. The shot wasn’t an asset, and his on-ball skills were too raw to be used effectively. By streamlining his progress into a catch-and-shoot player, who can also cut and use his athleticism, Okoro now has a clear pathway towards minutes and a steady role – assuming the three-point shot improves.

Coming into last season, Okoro had spent just over 37% of his shots on three-pointers. He upped that to 48% in 2022-2023, and is projected to increase it even more this year. It’s an embrace that will take some time to yield results, and the hope is that his defense provides the Cavaliers with more patience in the meantime.

Only, the clock on his contract is ticking. Okoro is entering his final year on rookie scale wages, and is already extension eligible. The Cavs aren’t yet sure of his role moving forward, but it’d be a shame to bail on his development now, just as he drastically altered his game last season.

Perhaps, even, it’s worth it for Cleveland to gamble a bit, and extend him regardless of potential skepticism. Should he suddenly pop as a much-improved three-and-D option, his market will explode next summer, likey to the tune of over $20 million per year.

Right now, it isn’t inconceivable that the Cavs can get him Coby White money, which is three years in the range of $36 million. The Cavs could even load the contract with incentives to offer Okoro a chance at considerable more money. Say an incentive of finishing each season hitting over 38% from downtown. And perhaps an incentive of making an All-Defense selection.

That opportunity should be there now before the season, but would go away entirely if he pops this year. Is it risky? A little bit, yes. But given the projected annual increases to the salary cap, it’s a small risk, and one the Cavs should be able to afford.

Of course, Okoro could also outright decline such a deal and bet on himself. But he’d have to feel certain about a few things, such as minutes received, and proper role distribution.

However you slice it, Okoro is in for a wildly important season.

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.