LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers Have What They Need for a Dynasty
CLEVELAND — In the midst of a week-long party that started with a title-clinching Game 7 over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers have spent the past five days capping off a historic run in Northeast Ohio.
As LeBron James stood basking in the presence of 1.3 million people celebrating the Cleveland Cavaliers' first championship, he closed his speech with an eye toward the future.
"I love all ya'll. S--t. Let's get ready for next year."
Here's how Cleveland can make this an annual thing.
Keep It Together
Further championship dreams are only plausible if James sticks around long term, something that's not necessarily guaranteed based on his preference for two-year deals with opt-out clauses after the first. But it's widely assumed this is his desire—for a raise each season to match the ever-rising salary cap, not so much to put pressure on the Cavaliers front office.
James put down all rumors of an immediate departure Wednesday, telling Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, "I love it here. I love being here. I love my teammates. Obviously, my agent will take care of all the logistical things, but I'm happy. I've got no plans to go nowhere at this point."
But dynasties aren't built on one king alone.
Both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love are under contract for the next four seasons, per Spotrac. The Cavs' next best player, iron man Tristan Thompson, also has four years remaining on his deal. Iman Shumpert (three years), Channing Frye (two) and Mo Williams (one) are all locked in as well.
Of the Cavaliers' free agents this summer, only Matthew Dellavedova and Richard Jefferson were in the playoff rotation. Dellavedova is a restricted free agent, meaning the Cavs can match any offer he receives. Jefferson said after Game 7 he planned to retire but announced at the parade that he would indeed be returning for one more season.
J.R. Smith, who naturally became a steadying force on a championship team... Wait, what? Who would have thought that naturally J.R. Smith was going to be a steadying force on a championship team? Anyone? (I'll call them a liar if they raise their hand.) Anyway, J.R. was great, and he reportedly did not exercise his $5.4 million player option for next season, according to Cleveland.com's Chris Haynes.
Don't expect him to go anywhere, however, as Smith hired Rich Paul as his agent with Klutch Sports, the same group that represents James and Thompson.
"This is where I want to be," Smith told Haynes. "The fans love me; I love them and my teammates."
Assuming Smith and the Cavs can work something out, that would ensure the return of all five starters with Frye, Shumpert, Williams, Jefferson and possibly Dellavedova coming off the bench.
Trust the Successor
This is James' team, but for how much longer?
The four-time MVP will be 32 this December and looking to play in his seventh straight NBA Finals. As every year passes, he'll need more and more help to carry the scoring and leadership loads.
While Love can certainly help, the primary pressure falls on Irving. The three-time All-Star went through a strong regular season before breaking out in the playoffs. Through 21 games, he averaged 25.2 points, 4.7 assists and 1.7 steals while shooting 47.5 percent from the floor and 44.0 percent from deep.
Irving then severely outdueled two-time MVP Steph Curry during the Finals and was the series' second-best player behind James.
| Irving | 27.1 | 3.9 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 46.8 | +4.7 |
| Curry | 22.6 | 3.7 | 0.9 | 4.3 | 40.3 | -1.0 |
"This guy. He thought I was blowing smoke up his ass earlier this season when I said he can be the best point guard in our league and also be an MVP in our league," James said of Irving at the championship parade.
"I know every single one of ya'll that watched the Finals. Ya'll saw what this guy's capable of doing. And he's only 24—oh my goodness—he's only 24. He don't reach his prime for another three years."
If Irving can develop into a consistent All-Star and reliable all-around sidekick, it will not only ease today's burden on James but set up a seamless role reversal in a few years as well.
Just Get Back There
Outside of a Kevin Durant signing in the East, there's no one to seriously challenge Cleveland in the conference. The Cavs ripped through the first three rounds this spring, going 12-2 against the Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors.
Even as contenders (pretenders?) come and go, the Cavs should still merrily skip into the Finals for the next couple years.
But the West will once again be a slaughterhouse.
Between the Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder and a handful of rising young guns, whichever team manages to crawl out alive will likely face a rested Cavaliers squad, much like Golden State ran into this year.
Let's not underestimate what playoff (and now championship) experience can do for a team as well. Going into this postseason, only two Cavaliers (LBJ and James Jones) had ever won a title before. Now, everyone that returns brings that Finals experience with them.
This isn't the Miami Heat of 2011-2014, when all members of the Big Three were suddenly staring down the backside of their careers. Irving, Love, Thompson and Shumpert are all 24-27 years old. James may be 31, but it's clear from his Finals MVP performance that there's plenty of tread left on those Akron tires.
James is also choosing to forgo the 2016 Olympics, opting for rest instead, per Vardon. After delivering two gold medals previously in 2008 and 2012, he will save his body for what should be another three to five years of title attempts.
Eventually, the party will die down. The celebrations will cease and players will have to forget about this season's feat so they can prepare for the next.
There's a potential dynasty to get working on.
Greg Swartz is the Cleveland Cavaliers Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @CavsGregBR. All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Stats via NBA.com.
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