Changes Cleveland Cavaliers Must Make to Return to the NBA Finals in 2016
After losing Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving to season-ending injuries, the Cleveland Cavaliers really should be heralded for making it as far as they did.
Yet in spite of the otherworldly performance of LeBron James, the Cavaliers remain in search of their first NBA title.
So where do the Cavaliers go from here? The team faces an offseason of uncertainty, and there are some crucial decisions to be made that will help Cleveland return to the Finals next season.
The first order of business for the Cavaliers is to build their backcourt depth.
Aside from James and Irving, the five perimeter players the Cavaliers used most in the Finals—J.R. Smith, Matthew Dellavedova, Iman Shumpert, James Jones and Mike Miller—shot a combined 29.4 percent from the field and 29.1 percent on three-point attempts in the series.
The Cavaliers will first have the opportunity to address this need in the NBA draft on June 25, where they hold the 24th and 53rd picks. Cleveland will almost certainly take guards with both picks, and possible first-round selections include Delon Wright, Terry Rozier and Justin Anderson.
Adding players in the draft will also serve another purpose for the Cavaliers—getting younger.
Four of the 13 players on Cleveland’s Finals roster are 34 or older—Jones (34), Miller (35), Brendan Haywood (35) and Shawn Marion (37). Kendrick Perkins is just 30, but he has not posted a PER over 10 in a full season since 2010.
By getting younger (and cheaper) players with late draft picks, they can avoid using roster spots on players who are non-factors in the postseason.
The draft will help the Cavaliers fill the holes in their bench, but the real drama will unfold when free agency begins on July 1.
James, Love, Shumpert, Smith, Dellavedova and Tristan Thompson could all be free agents this offseason. The Cavaliers are expected to have a payroll of $100 million next season, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
James, Love and Smith all have player options. Shumpert, Thompson and Dellavedova will all be restricted free agents, meaning the Cavaliers can retain all three by matching offer sheets made by other teams.
James will re-sign with the Cavaliers, most likely on a shorter deal, according to CBS Sports’ James Herbert. He will have a big say in the team’s offseason and has already voiced his support of re-signing Thompson, per Matt Moore of CBS Sports.
What Love chooses to do will have the biggest impact on the team. Love told reporters in late May that he expects to be back with the Cavaliers next season, and considering that the team came two wins short of winning a championship without him, his return might be enough to get over the hump.
With the best player in the world and two All-Stars returning to health, the Cavaliers do not need to make any blockbuster deals to return to the Finals next year. They simply need to stick to the plan and hope that roster continuity, added depth and better health will deliver that long-awaited championship.
Nick is a member of Bleacher Report's Advanced Program in Sports Media. You can follow him on Twitter @NickSelbe.
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