The Cavaliers moved fast this offseason to keep Thomas Bryant in the fold, and that speed may be the thing that draws the most scrutiny if Cleveland’s center depth gets tested.
Last year, the team signed Bryant to back up Jarrett Allen. In the end, he barely mattered in the postseason, because Allen and Evan Mobley stayed healthy and Kenny Atkinson never had to lean on Bryant at center. That reality didn’t stop Cleveland from acting quickly this summer and bringing him back, locking in the same backup role before other options had much of a chance to enter the picture.
That kind of early commitment comes with a cost. By re-signing Bryant, the Cavaliers took themselves out of the mix for other possible backup bigs. The question is whether that was smart business or a move they could come to regret.
The financial side of the equation explains a lot. Cleveland is operating with tight restrictions as it tries to stay under the first apron, the line it has hard-capped itself beneath. The roster squeeze was so real that the Cavaliers used their final spot on former second-round pick Khalifa Diop, a project big who does not look likely to provide much help this season.
That makes the backup center spot even more important. If Allen needs a breather, Cleveland needs someone it can trust.
There were other names out there. The Phoenix Suns just found out starting center Mark Williams will miss most of the season with a torn labrum in his shoulder, and they responded by signing former Portland Trail Blazers big man Duop Reath. He was sitting there in free agency until Phoenix needed him.
The New York Knicks also had to patch up their center depth after losing both Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti in free agency. They brought in reclamation project James Wiseman and veteran Drew Eubanks on training camp "Exhibit 9" deals.
A look around the remaining unsigned centers turns up a few more possibilities. Kelly Olynyk is still available, along with Kevin Love and Xavier Tillman.
So where does Bryant fit against that group? In limited minutes last season, he was highly productive.
He averaged 24.3 points and 13.5 rebounds per 36 minutes, while also giving Cleveland some floor spacing. He took 8.6 3-pointers per 36 minutes and knocked down 35.9 percent of them.
That blend matters. Some of the alternatives don’t shoot enough to stretch the floor, while pure stretch options like Olynyk don’t bring the same rebounding punch. On paper, Bryant may actually offer the best mix of skills for backing up Allen.
Still, there is one name that could make Cleveland sweat a little: Duop Reath. His role in Portland kept shrinking behind other options, but he showed as a rookie that he can bring legitimate impact on both ends. Compared with Bryant, Reath has the steadier 3-point shot and better defense, even if he is not the same kind of rebounder.
So yes, there is a path where another free-agent center lands somewhere useful and Bryant falls short. Reath could thrive in Phoenix and make Cleveland wonder if it moved too early. Another available big could turn into a better answer than expected.
But the most likely outcome is simpler: the Cavaliers probably made the right call. They can certainly second-guess it later, but right now they have every reason to believe Bryant was the best center still on the market.
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