Cavs sign Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot to training camp deal

According to The Athletic’s Joe Vardon, former first-round pick Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot will be joining the Cavs on a training camp deal:

Fear the Sword has not yet independently reported Luwawu-Cabarrot’s signing.

Luwawu-Cabarrot, 24, is a 6’6”, 210-pound forward originally picked No. 24 overall by the 76ers in the 2016 NBA Draft. He spent a season-plus in Philadelphia before being traded to the Thunder as part of a three-team deal with the Hawks. Last season, he was traded to the Bulls for cash considerations and a protected pick. For his career, Luwawu-Cabarrot has averaged 5.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. He’s only a 38.7% shooter (and 32% three-point shooter) for his career, but did shoot 33% from three last year on a career-high 3.2 attempts per game. That’s not nothing, even if it’s not great.

Luwawu-Cabarrot is interesting because he’s a still young wing with first-round pedigree. His NBA track record isn’t super promising, but he has a frame and rough outline that’s interesting.

The problem is that, in 171 games, he’s not totally looked like a good NBA player and, as rated out ESPN’s DRPM stat, he was one of the worst defenders among shooting guards in the entire league last year. He rated out better in both 2016-17 (when he was a positive) and in 2017-18 (when he was less of a negative) in larger sample sizes, so it’s possible last year isn’t totally indicative of what he is.

Luwawu-Cabarrot also fills a need for the Cavs. This is a team that needs all the wings it can get and it makes sense to take a flier on him at a low cost. It’s bene reported this summer that Cleveland will only keep 14 players on the roster at the beginning of the year, so he will likely be competing against Sindarius Thornwell, Jarrell Martin and others for the team’s 14th roster spot. Thornwell would appear to the be leader considering he’s already the best defender on the team, but it makes sense for the Cavs to bring in competition like Luwawu-Cabarrot.