The Cleveland Cavaliers, one of the biggest disappointments of the season after having been touted as a potential playoff contender, will have plenty of decisions to make in the offseason including what to do with free-agent-to-be Luol Deng.
The Cavs could offer Deng a 'modest offer', per The Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto who added that the veteran small forward who was acquired from the Chicago Bulls in the middle of the season could still leave the team and play for a contender.
The Cavs are 19-21 when Deng played with them, and 13-27 during games where he was not in the lineup. "Nonetheless, the odds are against his return next season," acknowledged Pluto.
Curiously, the Bulls, which traded Deng to the Cavs in exchange for center Andrew Bynum, has blossomed to a 33-14 record since dealing away the former All-Star.
Deng is averaging 14.3 points and 5.1 rebounds for the Cavaliers, shooting at a lethargic 42 percent. At 28, he has played 10 NBA seasons. The mileage on his body has led him to accumulate a lot of injuries like sore neck, sprained ankle and sore back. Still, he could be a good addition to a title contender should he leave the Cavaliers as a free agent this season.
In February, reports surfaced that Deng was unhappy with the Cavaliers especially with the attitude of some of its young stars. Per Mitch Lawrence of the NY Daily Times: "As Deng recently told one close friend, "the stuff going on in practice would never be tolerated by the coaching staff or the front office back in Chicago. It's a mess."
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