From the outside looking in, it’s been an underwhelming offseason for the Eastern Conference runner-up Cleveland Cavaliers. Two key things had been weighing them down all offseason.
First, after being swept by the eventual champions, the New York Knicks, how were they going to make substantial improvements to get over the hump and reach the Finals? And their second question was supposed to be the answer. Can you get LeBron to come back to Cleveland again?
We now, of course, know that LeBron will be ending his career in Philadelphia, and over that waiting period, lost rotational pieces Dean Wade and Keon Ellis to free agency. Wing depth was a massive problem for Cleveland, and losing two of their limited options there wasn’t making things any better.
However, Cavs GM Koby Altman didn’t let the LeBron decision ruin this offseason for the Cavs. They found a way to improve their roster and keep them under the second apron. James Harden deserves a lot of credit too. He gave Cleveland runway to find alternative help before signing his extension and putting them over the first apron.
This allowed the Cavs to sign their LeBron consolation prize, Mario Henzonja, and make a swing for Peyton Watson. They had to lose Max Strus to acquire Watson, which might be a substantial loss; however, Strus struggled to stay healthy and was consistently inconsistent when he was available.
Watson immediately makes this Cavs team better going into next season. Dean Wade did his best to make up for Harden and Donovan Mitchell on defense, but he provided absolutely nothing on offense. Despite his great defense, he played himself out of the 4th quarter rotation in the playoffs after being unwilling to shoot any jumpers.
This also clears out a great path for Jaylon Tyson to be the 6th man or even start if needed. He took a massive leap forward in year two, and can hopefully make a similar leap this year.
Mostly, the Cavs are getting written off far too quickly in an Eastern Conference filled with question marks. I need to see more out of these newly built contenders before I give up on a Cleveland team that’s had at least 44 wins every year since the 2021-22 season.
Cleveland and Detroit are currently tied for the 4th-best odds in the East and will likely drop further once Kawhi Leonard’s trade is finalized to the Raptors. Once that trade goes through, I would take a flier on the Cavs to win the East with a great opportunity to cash out, or play it safe and take their team total over 48.5 wins.
