The Cleveland organization announced this Sunday before facing Memphis that they acquired Javonte Green, as the NBA leaders were looking to add some depth to their wing. The veteran had agreed to a contract buyout with the Pelicans and then he decided to cleared waivers.
The Cavaliers‘ pursuit of the 31-year-old was first reported last Wednesday, and took four days to materialize. The Ohio club, who is set at the top of the Eastern Conference with a 46-10 record, was expected to be active on the league’s buyout market.
Their biggest in-season hiring came when they traded for Atlanta’s De’Andre Hunter, in exchange for guard Caris LeVert, forward Georges Niang, three second-round draft selections and two pick swaps. Now Green joins the party, as he explained that the Cavs appealed to him due to their “winning culture.”
✍️ OFFICIAL: Welcome to CLE, Javonte Green!
FULL DETAILS: https://t.co/KcOSx9PTEb @shift4 | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/bwS7Z5HmpQ
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) February 23, 2025
“I had teams interested in the trade part of it, and then, like, after the trade didn’t go through, having teams that were around listening, and I just felt like here was the best fit for me,” Javonte told the press about his thought process in the past week.
Now the former New Orleans star is convinced that he will bring energy and toughness to the Cleveland locker room. “It’s nothing that they’re missing or anything — just something that my game brings,” the veteran said confidently.
His new coach Kenny Atkinson knows him pretty well, as the tactician spent three seasons in Golden State as an assistant back when Javonte was also a part of the organization. “We had conversations,” Green shared. “He just seen how hard I was working to get back to where I am now.”
According to the Cavs coach, ever since they shared the same team, he never forgot about the 31-year-old. “I always had him in the back of my mind. [I told myself], ‘Man, if he ever comes available, he’s a guy that could help us and give us great insurance,’” he said this weekend.
“He’s a possession getter,” Atkinson said about the player who averaged 5.8 points this season after 50 games with the Pels. “He’s a steals guy, he rebounds, all for wings, probably 90th and above percentile. … It’s [us] stockpiling another wing that can defend elite wings in this league.
