Report: Cleveland Cavaliers appear to be close to signing Sasha Kaun

The Cleveland Cavaliers may be on the verge of adding a fourth big man to their rotation. Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group reported Monday that the Russian center was house shopping in Cleveland and is preparing to spend this season with the Cavaliers, although no deal is in place yet.

From the report:

Kaun, 30, and the Cavaliers have yet to reach an agreement. However, "it's only a matter of time" before a deal is struck, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations. The Cavaliers' main focus is on locking up a longtime pact with restricted free agent Tristan Thompson.

While the deal may not materialize in the next few days, it seems safe to pencil Kaun into the Cavs lineup for the 2015-2016 season. With Anderson Varejao in decline last season prior to tearing his Achilles, the need for another big to add to the rotation of Mozgov, Love and Thompson is apparent.

It also remains to be seen how useful Kaun can be, he's a fairly mobile big man with some ability to stretch the floor. He'll likely have an adjustment period either way as he gets used to the difference in rules between international and NBA play in addition to the differences in size and strength between players Russia vs. the NBA.