Ranking Cleveland Cavaliers' Biggest Needs for 2015 NBA Offseason
Injuries exposed the Cleveland Cavaliers' biggest weaknesses in the NBA Finals, proving that even one of the league's best teams still has work to do.
After a 53-win regular season following LeBron James' return to Northeast Ohio, the Cavs are already favorites to capture the 2016 title.
Before tipping things off in the fall, the Cavaliers have a crucial offseason to navigate. Going so far into the playoffs means they have just a week before the NBA draft, where Cleveland holds the No. 24 and 53 overall picks.
After that, both the team and players have decisions to make. Nine total Cavaliers hold team or player options. Shawn Marion (retirement) is the only member of the 2014-15 squad who is guaranteed not to return.
While all the permanent pieces are in place to make another strong run at a championship next summer, the Cavs must fill the following needs to ensure they can complete a title run in 2016.
No. 5: Find a Backup Stretch 4
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When Kevin Love was lost during the opening round of the playoffs following a torn labrum, the Cavs had no similar option to replace him.
Tristan Thompson did a fine job of stepping into a starting role, averaging 9.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. While the defense actually improved, Cleveland had to alter its playing style a bit.
A power forward who can shoot from the outside is invaluable on a team with drivers like LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. Both players need their space to get to the basket, which is not easily accomplished between two big men who do their work in the paint.
The closest thing the Cavaliers had to a power forward who can shoot was James Jones, primarily a wing throughout his career. While he could space the floor, he struggled to rebound and defend the post.
In 15.5 playoff minutes per night, Jones averaged just 4.4 points and 1.5 rebounds while shooting 34.7 percent from the field. Cleveland's rebounding percentage dropped from 54.0 to 49.6 percent transitioning from Love to Jones.
No one can replicate Love's elite combination of three-point shooting and rebounding, but the Cavs need to find a better backup who plays a similar style when Love is out of the game.
No. 4: Bring Back Matthew Dellavedova...at the Right Price
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Dellavedova became a national sensation before quickly fading into oblivion once again.
He's still very much appreciated in Cleveland, however. The Finals didn't elevate or expose Dellavedova. They simply reminded us of what he is.
He's not a starting-caliber point guard in the league, a role he was forced into playing after Irving broke his kneecap in Game 1. He's not going to initiate an offense, create shots for himself or break any defender down with a killer crossover.
Dellavedova, despite his 20-point, five-rebound and four-assist performance in Game 2, hasn't changed much since he began the season. He's popular as a player to watch and a teammate due to his acceptance and willingness to dive for loose balls, defend at a high level and not care about personal stats.
Cavs general manager David Griffin said Thursday that the team will extend Dellavedova a qualifying offer, making him a restricted free agent. Cleveland can now match any offer he receives from another team.
It's safe to say that everyone in Cleveland wants to see the Australian grit master return, but at what price? With a team payroll set to skyrocket, the Cavs don't want to throw a blank check at possibly a third-string point guard.
The Cavaliers should offer no more than $3-$4 million annually, which is a fair deal for both sides.
No. 3: Draft/Sign Additional Playmaker/Point Guard
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While the defense was impressive throughout the playoffs sans Love and later, Irving, the Cavaliers ran out of offense in the Finals.
James was forced to play guard, forward, scorer and distributor and sweep the floor after games. This culminated in Game 5, where he scored or assisted on 70 of the Cavs' 91 total points.
"Toward the end, LeBron was asked to carry far too heavy a burden offensively, because frankly with the other two out he was our only real offensive playmaker," Griffin stated in Thursday's press conference, via Cavs.com.
It's easy to say that Irving and Love will both be ready for the start of the 2015-16 season and that this shouldn't happen again. Unfortunately, it could, and likely will, at times.
Irving and Love aren't exactly the poster boys for good health. Irving has missed 61 games with various injuries over four years. Love has been absent for 152 contests during his seven-year career, an average of nearly 22 games per season.
The pressure can't squarely be on James to score and create for others as much as he did during the Finals. Finding a third point guard or playmaking wing is important to help keep James fresh.
No. 2: Re-Sign Tristan Thompson and Iman Shumpert
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Thompson, 24, and Shumpert, 24, represent two of the Cavaliers' best young talent.
They're also about to get paid.
Griffin noted that both would become restricted free agents and that he planned on keeping the defensive pair.
This is where Cleveland gets in trouble financially. Max contracts to James, Love and Irving are no-brainers. Paying the max, or something close to it, for Thompson seems risky, especially for someone who shouldn't even start next season.
"His agent has let it be known that Thompson wants a max deal, or close to it," noted Bob Finnan of the News-Herald. "He turned down in the neighborhood of a four-year, $52 million deal last October. The question is whether the Cavs want two max players at the same power forward position. In this case, they probably do."
Thompson is a versatile big who can play both power forward and center. He's hardly an offensive threat but has been one of the NBA's best offensive rebounders for years. The Cavaliers' team scoring and rebounding were greatly improved with Thompson on the floor this season.
Shumpert is the Cavs' best perimeter defender. Following the All-Star break, he held opposing players to 3.1 percent below their season shooting average and a stingy 6.8 percent below on three-pointers, via NBA.com.
After coming off the bench following a trade from the New York Knicks in January, Shumpert was inserted into the starting lineup for the postseason's last three rounds. He helps to make up for Irving's defensive deficiencies and can take on the opponent's best wing scorer, giving James a break.
Perhaps the best thing the Cavaliers can do? Let other teams set the market.
It's hard to imagine that any team will give Thompson more than the $13 million annually he turned down, given his offensive limitations. Shumpert's value is more unpredictable, although his camp could point to the four-year, $42 million extension that shooting guard Alec Burks of the Utah Jazz inked last year as a comparison.
Should the Cavaliers bring both back? Absolutely.
Letting the market set their value, however, may be the best route to take.
No. 1: The Kevin Love Situation
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Could the Cavaliers win a title without Love? Probably.
That doesn't mean they shouldn't do everything to bring him back, though.
All things considered, Love had a strong first year with the Cavaliers. He led the team in rebounding (9.7 per game) while also serving as the stretch 4 that James and Irving thrive alongside.
Forget all the questions about his fit or Thompson as a quality replacement; Love is one of the league's most unique talents and gives Cleveland an astronomical ceiling for success.
Love holds a $16.7 million player option for next season. He can exercise it and become a free agent next summer, opt out and sign a new max one-year deal with an approximate $3 million raise, or choose financial security and sign a long-term extension now.
Following shoulder surgery and an up-and-down season in Cleveland, there's no telling what Love will do. It would be shocking to see him simply opt in to his contract, given he could collect a few extra million bucks otherwise.
When asked about Love, James and others with player options doing the same, Griffin said via Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group:
"For financial reasons that are understandable, Griffin fully expects the other three to decline their option and hit free agency. But he's confident they will all return as Cavaliers.
"I think everybody who has the potential to opt out in this climate probably will, and I anticipate that we've created the kind of environment and culture that they want to be part of," he said. "I have no reason to believe that any of those players don't want to be back, quite frankly."
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The best-case scenario for Cleveland and possibly Love? The three-time All-Star opts out of his deal and signs a max contract for around five years and $100 million. That would give him the financial security he needs while avoiding free-agent questions for the foreseeable future. It also pairs him with the best player in the planet during the last elite years of James' career.
Whatever he chooses to do, the Cavaliers need to keep Love in "The Land" next year.
Greg Swartz has covered the Cleveland Cavaliers and NBA for Bleacher Report since 2010. Stats via Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
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