Cavs' Roster Purge Aimed Toward Life With, and Without, LeBron James
The biggest question at the NBA trade deadline was answered Thursday in ways that no one could have anticipated.
Question: What would the Cavaliers do?
Answer: What didn't they do?
Executing a much-needed roster transformation in a matter of a couple of hours, the Cavs accomplished almost all of their short-term goals.
They got rid of Isaiah Thomas, whose brief yet sound-bite-filled stint in Cleveland was more trouble than it was worth. They jettisoned Derrick Rose, who had his moments but left no one in the Cavs locker room confident they could count on him after his strange hiatus in November. Jae Crowder was sent away after struggling to find a role.
With the addition of George Hill, Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr., they got younger, more athletic and more capable of flourishing in transition and on the perimeter, which is where the NBA game is played now. Even with fewer than 30 regular-season games left to blend the new talent and manufacture some semblance of chemistry, it's hard to argue that the Cavs aren't a more functional team now than they were a few hours ago—and certainly, than they've been since Christmas.
As for the future, and that of four-time MVP LeBron James? It was crystal clear among executives around the league Thursday that Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is hedging his bets.
"It would appear that they are preparing for life without LeBron," an Eastern Conference executive told Bleacher Report.
Their failed pursuit of Clippers center DeAndre Jordan notwithstanding, the Cavs acquired a lot more than youth, athleticism and skill sets that they were sorely lacking. They also took on significant salary beyond this season.
Hill, who came over in the three-team deal with Sacramento and Utah, is owed $19 million next season ($1 million of an $18 million 2019-20 salary is guaranteed as well). Jordan Clarkson, inbound with Nance Jr. in the deal that sent Thomas, Channing Frye and the Cavs' own 2018 first-round pick (top-three protected) to the Lakers, is owed nearly $26 million over the next two. Hood will be a restricted free agent this summer, meaning the Cavs hold matching rights. Clarkson, Nance and Hood are only 25; Hill is 31, but he's also the most accurate three-point shooter in the league and, according to Synergy Sports, one of the most efficient handoff and spot-up shooters in the league.
"Maybe Gilbert said, 'Let's get as many good players as we can in case we lose LeBron,'" a Western Conference executive told B/R.
This wasn't mortgaging the future to acquire another star to placate James; the Cavs still have the coveted first-round pick they acquired from Boston (via Brooklyn) as the only serviceable asset that came over in the Kyrie Irving trade. But it wasn't a fire sale, either.
In some ways, what Gilbert and GM Koby Altman pulled off on Thursday was the perfect mixture of what the Cavs needed: Give James floor-spacers and young, athletic pieces that fit together and hope it's enough for him to lead them to a fourth straight NBA Finals (eighth straight personally). This, after all, is what James wants more than anything.
"LeBron is focused on winning another championship with the Cavaliers," a person close to James told B/R.
And in one fell swoop, the Cavs gave him that chance…and they did it without leaving the cupboard bare in the event he leaves.
"It's a lot of money coming in, so LeBron can't say they didn't try," another Eastern Conference executive told B/R. "The lottery pick gives them a cornerstone, and the talent gives them enough to stay in the pack."
So basically, after so many missteps—the dismissal of GM David Griffin, the unfulfilled pursuit of Paul George and Eric Bledsoe, the ill-fated Irving trade—the Cavs finally did something right.
With no commitment beyond this season from James, who has a $35.6 million player option for 2018-19, the Cavs had no choice but to prepare for either eventuality. And let's be clear: Thursday's moves hardly put them in a worse position to keep James in Cleveland. James' basketball mind is sophisticated enough to know that names and All-Star appearances often don't get you to the Finals. And he's savvy enough to appreciate how players like Hill, Hood, Clarkson and Nance will fit with how he plays.
"All those guys are going to play hard, too, because they want to prove themselves to him," the Western Conference exec told B/R.
The flurry of transactions—including trading Dwyane Wade for a heavily protected 2024 second-round pick—also left the Cavs with two open roster spots to entice buyout candidates, giving them the flexibility to add something else that was lacking: veteran leadership coming from someone other than James.
And it shouldn't be overlooked that Thomas' departure could improve something other than locker room chemistry. When he returns from his hand injury, All-Star Kevin Love will be the undisputed No. 2 offensive option on the team, as opposed to a guy just trying not to get in the way.
The only curious part? By helping the Lakers offload Clarkson's contract, the Cavs paved the way for a team that is widely viewed in league circles as one of the biggest threats to land James this summer. The Lakers now have room for not one, but two max salary slots in 2018 or '19. According to ESPN's Bobby Marks, L.A. is projected to have $46.9 million in cap room this summer—and that number could grow to $69 million if they dump Julius Randle and spread Luol Deng's $37 million over five years using the stretch provision.
"They've got some good pieces on their roster," the Western Conference exec said of the Lakers, "so I can see what [the Cavs'] thinking is. If we lose LeBron, he's going to go West, and we can at least get him out of the East."
It's incredibly rare for a team coming off a Finals appearance to pull off this drastic of a roster shake-up barely 50 games into the next season. Rarer, still, is getting to experience life with LeBron James on your team—and having to prepare for the possibility of life without him.
Well before the clock struck 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, the Cavs had both bases covered.
Ken Berger covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @KBergNBA.
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