CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – As the first few days of NBA Free Agency wind down we have seen three teams in the NBA’s Eastern Conference make big-time moves to get better- Philadelphia (Jaylen Brown), Miami (Giannis) and Toronto (Kawhi Leonard). The Cavs? We’re still waiting and still wondering.
The waiting is a bit understandable, not everything happens quickly. The wondering is where can start to scratch your head. What kind of moves can they actually make?
One answer here is the one you’ve probably already muttered under your breath while reading this- LeBron James. Could they get him? Yeah.
If they could actually get him to agree to the mid-level exception, which would be around $15-million, that could work. The team is now under the second apron after James Harden declined his player option for next season. As it stands they are actually $29-million under the first apron, but they are aiming to bring Harden back, so that cap space is a bit spoken for.
The team has created more cap space by saying good bye to Dean Wade and Keon Ellis, Wade was a bit more surprising there. The team could also find a way to trade Max Strus and his $19-million salary, but Strus is one role player that would be hard to lose. You need guys that bring what he brings to a team- toughness, intensity and shooting.
So what if they cannot get LeBron? Unfortunately, the splash acquisitions just are not there if he’s off the board- unless there is some disgruntled star player out there we have not heard about yet.
The best remaining free agent is Detroit’s Jalen Duren.
No thanks. He’s good, but he Cavs already have Jarrett Allen.
After that? Denver’s Peyton Watson is a good, ascending player, and he would help the Cavs, but nobody would say he’s the guy that puts them over the top.
They need to get over the top. Their owner said as much after the season. Don’t forget Dan Gilbert’s “we are nowhere near where we need to be.”
Is the “run it back” strategy actually viable? It is a legitimate gripe that the team did not have a lot of time to gel with Harden, but I am not sure it’s legit enough to explain away everything. Harden was straight bad at times in the playoffs.
It seems like they have three hands to play-
Run it backRun it back with LeBronAltman has an ace up his sleeve nobody sees coming
Number 3 would make Cavs fans feel like they could get over the top.
Number 2 might get ‘em there as well and would be a lot of fun along the way.
Number 1? That’s going to be a tough sell, to the fans and maybe to Gilbert.
Philly, Miami and Toronto all got a lot better.
The New York Knicks are the champs.
The Cavaliers are playing the waiting game, while the rest of us do the wondering.
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