Patrick McCaw was an unsigned restricted free agent until the Cleveland Cavaliers came calling.
Until recently Patrick McCaw was an unsigned restricted free agent. The Cavaliers signed McCaw to an offer sheet worth $6 million over two years. The Golden State Warriors had the opportunity to match the deal to keep McCaw, but eventually declined. Apparently Golden State wanted McCaw to stay, but matching the offer sheet would have led to an increase of $11 million on their luxury tax bill.
Apparently McCaw was ready to move on from the two-time reigning NBA Champions. This is understandable, barring injury or completely unexpected trade there is not a starting spot for McCaw. On a team filled with All-Stars McCaw would have absolutely zero chance of cracking the starting lineup. Just last season McCaw averaged 16.9 minutes per game coming off the bench. For someone who wants to make a name for themselves and potentially get a big payday, this is not enough playing time. Signing elsewhere made sense.
What do the Cleveland Cavaliers get in Patrick McCaw and does it signify an upcoming trade?
Patrick McCaw averages four points per game in his young career. The lack of scoring hardly comes as a surprise considering his former team was stacked in that department. McCaw has a career field goal percentage of 42.1 on 3.7 field goal attempts per game. Shooting from three-point range is not a strength as McCaw has a career mark of just 29.6. Granted McCaw only attempts just over 1.5 three-pointers per game.
McCaw is a player who takes the majority of his shots close to the rim or from deep. While his 62.4 field goal percentage from inside three feet is nice, his lackluster shooting from three-point range is a concern. The good news is that McCaw is still only 23 years old and can develop that shot as his career continues.
McCaw’s presence does raise some questions about the future of a certain player on the roster. That player is Rodney Hood. Hood is on a one-year deal and may be the target of contenders before the trade deadline. The acquisition of McCaw certainly points to a trade of Hood in the upcoming weeks. Of course there is the possibility that Cleveland retains Hood and finds a nice balance of playing time between all of their guards, but that does not seem likely. Considering the state of the Cavaliers and their rebuild, a trade of Hood almost appears inevitable.
If adding Patrick McCaw means the team gets a little bit younger and eventually acquires another asset to build in the future, this is a smart decision. The Cavaliers need to keep thinking about the future and signing McCaw is a move for the future.
