Cleveland Cavaliers

2016-17: 51-31, 2nd in the East

Payroll: $138,725,562

NBA Draft:

No Selections

Offseason:

IN: Kyle Korver (re-signed 3 years, $22 million), Jae Crowder, Isaiah Thomas,
Ante Zizic, Derrick Rose (1 year, $2.3 million), Jose Calderon (1 year, $2.3
million), Jeff Green (1 year, $2.1 million), Cedi Osman (3 years, $8.3 million),
Dwyane Wade

OUT: Kyrie Irving

Analysis:

The Cavs are still arguably the second best team in the NBA, which,
depending on what you expected, may be a good thing or a bad thing. When KD
signed with the Warriors in 2016, the seasons narrative became the collision
course of the Golden State superpower vs LeBron and his group of vets. The Cavs
put up a good fight in the Finals, but it was clear that the Warriors were a cut above
them, in a tier unto themselves. Cleveland responded this offseason by sitting on
their hands for weeks until Kyrie Irving turned the organization upside down with
his trade request.

Ill get to that trade in a bit, but the way Cleveland handled the first half of
the summer was perplexing; Golden State kept their historic core happy and well-
paid while snagging more ring chasers; Houston made a blockbuster to bring in
CP3; OKC managed to steal Paul George from the Pacers; Boston signed Gordon
Hayward. The competition was only getting better, or at least seeking to, while
Cleveland was content to re-sign Kyle Korver and then sit around after their own
trade talks for George fell apart. Id expect a team that has made 3 straight Finals
appearances and clearly isnt afraid of paying the luxury tax to be more aggressive
in trying to close the gap between themselves as the Warriors, but that wasnt what
happened.

LeBron, conspicuously quiet during the first several weeks of the offseason,
only made the situation tenser. I dont blame him for being unimpressed with what
the front office was doing, especially after the head-scratching decision to let GM
David Griffith go, lowballing Chauncey Billups during negotiations, and then
failing in general to run the franchise smoothly. However, amid the increased
seriousness of the rumors that LeBron is headed for the Lakers after this season,
Cleveland needs to get its act together in a hurry or risk being left behind in the
post-LBJ hellscape.

The Cavs recovered admirably in the back half of the summer though. So
much has been said about the Kyrie trade that I dont want to beat a dead horse, but
overall, the Cavs escaped with a good hauleven if the side show about ITs hip
made them look terrible. Keeping Kyrie wasnt an option, and yet despite the lack
of leverage they swung a deal with their main Eastern conference rivals this
upcoming season that helped both teams. Crowder is the kind of 3&D wing
theyve lacked when going up against the Warriors, and if IT is healthy and ready
for the playoffs (he should be, with some reports saying hell be ready by January),
I cant imagine the havoc hell wreak off-ball with LeBron creating. Zizic probably
wont play much this year, if at all, but he is an intriguing guy for Clevelands
future. The Nets 2018 pick was the centerpiece of that deal though, and under no
circumstances should Cleveland deal that pick; its almost assuredly going to be
top-8, and may even be top-5giving Cleveland the chance to nab one of the
franchise-changing talents wholl likely be there in the 2018 Draft. It has been said
before, but that pick is their insurance against LBJ leaving, and no matter what
LeBron wants, the team needs to prioritize its long-term stability.

On the FA front, Cleveland bolstered it groups of Vetssince almost all of

last years team is returningby bringing in Jeff Green, Derrick Rose, Jose
Calderon, Dwyane Wade, and the intriguing young Turk Cedi Osman. Now, in my
opinion, the only guy there who moves the needle at all is Wade, but if you put
someone on a team with LeBron, theres always the chance he helps bring out the
best in them. However, Calderon is a defensive turnstile and will likely play very
limited minutes; Jeff Green has been a negative for every team he has ever played
for, and now at the twilight of his career on a team that likes to play fast, I dont
expect a renaissance; Osman will probably sit on the bench for most of the year
too, but he is a nice guy to have for the future.

Rose is the biggest wildcard. It sure seems after a full, healthy season in NY
last year that the player he is post-knee injuries is highly unqualified to be starting
on a good basketball team, but its hard to completely ignore what he once was
maybe thats wishful thinking, but maybe he can contribute off the bench. Last
year he combined his poor shooting and defensive nonchalance with ball stopping
tendencies, choosing to try to go into hero-mode in order to prove a point about his
game, but considering he ended up settling for the veterans minimum, I hope he
realizes now that 2010 was a long, long time ago in basketball years. Once IT
returns, it will likely be Rose who sees his minutes cut, but coming off the bench
surrounded by shooters (which he didnt have in NY) may be able to revive the
efficiency of his picknroll game and keep bench units afloat while LBJ sits.

Now that Kyrie is gone, the way Ty Lue manages LeBrons minutes will be
one of the most interesting subplots for the 2017-18 Cavs; there isnt another bona-
fide star on this team to carry the offense, especially since LBJ and Kevin Love
will likely share the floor for most of their playing time. It may not matter against
most of the East, but Love and Tristan Thompson have had trouble playing
together against the Warriors for 2 years now, and if the Cavs version of the death
lineup can only have 1, it needs to be Love. How effective Wade and Rose can be
as secondary creators is a major factor in how much hand-wringing will happen in
Cleveland over the next 8 or 9 months.

Wade was a good and obvious get for the Cavs, and he does move the needle
some, but hes also going to turn 36 in Januaryhes here for the postseason. Most
of his explosiveness is gone, and he still hasnt reinvented himself as a 3-point
shooter, so if hes on the court in the 4th hell need to find other ways to ease
LeBrons burden. He remains a world-class cutter and as savvy a player as youll
find, but if he is an answer to beating Golden State remains a ginormous question
mark.
 Wade, like Kobe was, is a long, feisty defender who has begun to conserve
his energy on that side of the ball much more as he has aged, and despite his knack
for positioning himself in passing lanes, I worry about the brutality of the Golden
State machine running him ragged through picks during a 7-game series. Most
players cant hold up to that kind of punishment, but a 36-year-old? I doubt it. If he
cant be a plus on the court against the Warriors, Wades role may be merely to be
LeBrons best friend.

If things arent going well at the All-Star break, there isnt much of an
avenue for the Cavs to get better. If they want to hold onto the Nets pick, then
either Shumpert or J.R. Smith is likely to get moved, but their names have been on
the trade block for a while now, and they dont seem to have much value. With the
way the offseason went, this roster may be LeBrons ride or die crew in June, and
Im not sure how he feels about that. Plus defenders are few and far between on the
roster, IT will always be a liability on that side of the ball, and trying to outscore
Golden State has already failed.

For now though, it does all come back to LeBron. Hes the best player in the
world and one of the three best players ever, so the Cavs remain the Eastern
Conference favorite. They didnt care about home court advantage last year, but I
suspect that even despite being an older team, theyll look to lock up the number 1
seed this year to make things easier, especially with the animosity that is likely to
emerge against the new-look, Kyrie-led Celtics.

Im not sure how to describe the Cavs offseason in a nutshell, even with a
good Kyrie trade, but it has the feeling of a big step sideways. All of this
probably doesnt matter against the Warriors, but theres a reason they play the
games.

Player to Watch: Kevin Love

I dont want to insult Love by saying the Cavs lack a second star now, but despite
his numbers and increased efficiency last year, his presence hasnt been the same
since he went to Cleveland. At Media Day there was some talk of him starting at
the 5, and in the lineups that matter he probably will be the 5. He is the essential
ingredient in those lineups, the player who will take them from dangerous to lethal.
This Cavs team cannot be another LeBron-led group of vetsthey need Kevin
Love to exert himself and be the player and presence he was in Minnesota or they
wont have enough firepower to win the title.

Imaginary Prop Bet: Chance LeBron & DWade take a vacation mid-season-O/U
50%

Prediction: 54-28, 1st in the East