Detroit Pistons could be interested in Isaac Okoro when free agency opens.
Could Okoro be reunited with J.B. Bickerstaff?
Isaac Okoro is the Cleveland Cavaliers’ most notable free agent this summer. As a restricted free agent, the Cavs match an offer sheet Okoro signs.
One team that could pursue Okoro: The Detroit Pistons. Per cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, the Pistons are a “team to watch” for Okoro. If Okoro were to end up in Detroit, he would be reunited with ex-Cavs head coach and new Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff.
From Fedor:
Sources say the Detroit Pistons, with a plethora of cap space and former Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff now aboard, are a team to watch. Okoro’s playoff-specific flaws wouldn’t be as cumbersome in a rebuilding organization and his toughness, competitiveness, tenacity and defense-first credo would all help Bickerstaff instill the culture he wants in Detroit, giving the Pistons an edgy wing with some untapped offensive potential.
If Detroit offered Okoro an annual salary north of the non-taxpayer midlevel exception, which is around $13 million per year, Cleveland would likely be iffy about that kind of financial commitment, especially with their current salary cap structure and an understanding that the roster will be even pricier moving forward.
Two players from Okoro’s 2020 draft class just signed extensions. Obi Toppin, picked eighth by the New York Knicks and later traded to the Indiana Pacers, signed for four years and $60 million. Patrick Williams, picked fourth overall by the Chicago Bulls, signed for five years and $90 million.
Toppin’s deal puts him at $15 million annually; Williams’ deal is at $18 million annually. One would think Okoro wants to at least match Toppin in annual salary. Whether the Cavs would pay that remains the question, as is how long this process could take to unfold. Restricted free agents in recent years have signed fewer offer sheets, as it eats up cap space for other moves.
