It has not been an easy path in the second post-LeBron Jame era, but the Cleveland Cavaliers have finally got themselves back on the right track. There has been quite a bit of trial and error but a series of moves over the past year or so have the Cavs to sort through some redundancies on the roster and get them in a much better spot moving forward.
2022’s offseason set the table
It all started with the trade which saw Cleveland land Donovan Mitchell in exchange for Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Ogbaji, and draft picks. While Markkanen did have a career-year in Utah, that simply would not have happened with the Cavs had they not acquired Mitchell. Darius Garland and Sexton would be the primary options while Evan Mobley would have continued his growth in addition to getting decent contributions from Jarrett Allen. There simply would not be enough touches for Markkanen in Cleveland had he remained a Cavalier.
2023-24 is when the Cavs should ascend to the next level
Continuing their process from the previous offseason, Cleveland moved on from some more players who simply had no future here. The Cavs traded Cedi Osman and Lamar Stevens in exchange for Max Strus in a three-team sign-and-trade. This was another example of Cleveland identifying players that were not going to be able to carve out a signifiant role in a competitive Cavaliers squad.
Strus should slide into the starting lineup while Isaac Okoro should be a competent three-point and defensive specialist off the bench (as long his three-point shooting continue to improve). Bringing in Damian Jones, Ty Jerome, and Georges Niang in addition to re-signing Caris LeVert and drafting Emoni Bates should solidify their bench group. The decision to add this group of players to their existing bench of Okoro, Ricky Rubio, and Dean Wade was made with the intention of improving their second unit.
It has always been about the big picture
There is a reason why the Cavs were so eager to make the moves they have in recent years. The players they traded in 2022 for Mitchell are fine, but they are more of the complimentary variety. Cleveland needed a clear number one scoring option as they did not have one. Sexton and Markkanen are fine, but are not what the Cavaliers needed.
A good front office is able to identify when they can no longer bank on potential. While Sexton, Markkanen, and Ogbaji had plenty of potential, the team was going to go nowhere with them on the roster. Treading water and continuing to be irrelevant is a death sentence no matter the sport. If Koby Altman did not make any moves there is a very good chance he is not currently still the general manager of the Cavaliers.
The trades for Mitchell and Strus highlight the big moves Cleveland believes will bring them closer to rather than further from a championship. There will more than likely be more moves at some point during the season, but the foundation and framework appear to be in place. It will be about making minor moves and slight roster adjustments moving forward, the hallmarks of a team that is genuinely ready to compete.
