Possible ways the Cleveland Cavaliers could fill out their roster

Although the Cleveland Cavaliers are not yet done in free agency, their roster is largely constructed and finished. As we inch toward the end of July, all that is left for David Griffin to do is fill out the end of the bench. Sure, he has to sign Tristan Thompson, but that feels like a formality even if it takes time.

A year ago, this process netted Cleveland Shawn Marion, Mike Miller and James Jones. Marion, aside from a short stint as the Cavs' starting two-guard, ultimately didn't make as large of an impact as was expected. Virtually the same could be said for Miller. Against all logic, it was Jones who provided the most value. When Kevin Love went down in the playoffs, Jones stepped in and used his one skill - shooting - to give the Cavs some spacing and overall was a useful player for a Cavs squad that needed playable bodies.

This year, Griffin's job is arguably a little easier. The heavy lifting is mostly done - Love, LeBron James and Iman Shumpert re-signed, Mo Williams signed for part of the taxpayers mid-level exception, Thompson is going to re-up eventually, etc. - and there are simply holes to fill. Whoever Griffin signs between now and the beginning of the season isn't likely going to play a major role in the Cavs' success if everything goes right.

Still, hitting on the final roster spots is important. If we don't assign rookies Rakeem Christmas and Sir'Dominic Pointer roster spots and assume that Thompson and Matthew Dellavedova will be both back next year, that leaves four open spots. Based on who is on the roster as of right now, here's an educated guess at the Cavs' depth chart:

PG: Kyrie Irving, Mo Williams, Matthew Dellavedova

SG: Iman Shumpert, Joe Harris

SF: LeBron James, Mike Miller

PF: Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson

C: Timofey Mozgov, Anderson Varejao

There's certainly a lot to like here because this roster has three really, really good players on it. Additionally, most of the core from last year - if not all of it - will be back and, in theory, the Cavs have four bigs who can play somewhat interchangeably. In the backcourt, the Cavs have some potential wacky, but good, lineup combinations - especially since Williams and Dellavedova play in very different ways.

But the Cavs still need some depth, even if it's there for emergency purposes only. At shooting guard, Shumpert has a history of injuries - he tore his ACL as a rookie and dealt with shoulder and groin issues last year - and nothing Harris has done to date suggests that he's ready to play next year. At small forward, LeBron will obviously play a vast majority of the minutes, but it'd be nice to find a wing who can spell LeBron, limit his minutes and maybe give him a night off from time to time. The fresher LeBron is come May and June, the better.

Up front, a fifth big who can actually play - i.e. not Kendrick Perkins -  would have some obvious value for the Cavs. Varejao, of course, is coming back from an Achilles injury and there's no way of knowing what he'll look like. Additionally, Love has missed time in the past, and it's just a smart decision to find a fifth big that can see time as needed. Thompson's versatility and durability, however, maybe make this less of a concern.

Any signing, of course, will have to come cheaply. The Cavs still have part of their mini-MLE left and can also sign people to minimum deals. Here's a look at some possibilities for the Cavs.

SF Dorell Wright

Wright is probably my favorite fit on this list. He can shoot, play defense and fill the James Jones role better than James Jones. He also could start at small forward if LeBron were to rest. He'd be a nice player to have if/when the Cavs go small with LeBron as the four and Love or Thompson at center. But I have no idea what sort of deal he'll sign, and he might be a little too expensive.

SF Tayshaun Prince

Prince is well past his prime and is more like Marion or Miller than the Cavs would probably like. But he's been a dependable NBA player for a while now, and you could do worse for a player on a minimum deal.

SG J.R. Smith

Smith is the one player on this list the Cavs can pony up for, as they have his Bird Rights. But a) is that smart and b) how much is Smith actually worth? If he were to sign a two-year deal with a team option for year two at maybe $6 million per, that makes sense. Anything longer or worth more money would be hard to justify.

F James Jones

The Cavs are probably the only team interested in signing Jones. If they do, it makes sense, but it's not a big deal if they don't bring him back or he retires.

F Darrell Arthur

I'm a fan of Arthur. The Nuggets want to keep him and can pay him more, but he'd be a useful fifth big.

PF Tyler Hansbrough

Maybe not the best fit, but not a terrible one either. Minimum deals are fun.

C Ekpe Udoh

He can block shots. And he has an awesome book club.

C Kevin Seraphin

Seraphin was kinda useful with the Wizards, but he's a limited player.

These, of course, are just a few names. In my mind, signing Wright and bringing back Smith - plus a big and one rookie - would be the ideal scenario. Signing Jones, Smith, a big and a rookie would work too. Brendan Haywood's contract could still be used to acquire someone, although that doesn't seem likely.

In any case, the Cavs still have some spots to fill and those decisions matter - just not as much as they did this time last year.