Few NBA general managers have done more than Koby Altman has to put together this current Cleveland Cavaliers team.
Not only did he re-sign Jarrett Allen to a deal that is now looking like a steal, he also drafted who many believe to be the Rookie of the Year frontrunner in Evan Mobley, who has been tremendous this season, even at 20 years old. On top of that he traded for Lauri Markkanen and Ricky Rubio, who were both key pieces of the team until Rubio suffered his injury. So the news hitting that Altman has received an extension and a new title is well-deserved. Altman has been through it all with the Cavaliers over the past couple of seasons, so it’s nice to see him receive credit for the work he’s done.
In a recent report, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN announced that Altman would be receiving an extension through the 2027-2028 season, and it includes a new title: President of Basketball Operations.
ESPN Sources: Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman has agreed to a contract extension through the 2027-2028 season. Altman’s new title will be President of Basketball Operations.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 12, 2022
Altman’s tenure as Cavs GM started bumpy, but he’s rebounded, and this is well-deserved.
I’m not going to sit here and lie to our readers, so I’ll just make it known. Altman was not a liked man in my household after his first major move as a GM. He traded away Kyrie Irving, and in return, basically got nothing at the time. The Celtics sent the Cavs Isaiah Thomas, Ante Zizic, Jae Crowder, and a first-round pick via the Brooklyn Nets.
I could go on forever about how the Kyrie trade was mishandled, but for now I’ll give Altman a pass. The Cavs are easily one of the most surprising and exciting teams in the NBA, and Altman was the one pulling the strings.
Not only has Altman done a lot with current players, he has also drafted Collin Sexton with that Brooklyn pick, and has selected Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Isaac Okoro. It’s too early to make a judgement call on Okoro, but at worst he’s a very good perimeter defender, with a high motor, and great explosiveness.
I also credit Altman with drafting Kevin Porter Jr. As a player he is a great young talent, but off the court there are problems. No matter how much you liked Porter Jr. in Cleveland, he had to go, as he was having a negative effect on teammates.
At the end of the day, general managers are judged by how many championships they’ve won. Now, Altman was in the front office for the 2016 championship. However, I think he’d like to carve out his own name in Cleveland folk-lore, and bring the city another championship, this time without LeBron James. So, for now Koby Altman, President of Basketball Operations, is in the Cavs good graces.
Let’s hope he continues to build around this impressive young core. In the end though, he deserved this extension for his work this season alone. I don’t think you’d find another Cavalier fan out there who doesn’t agree, and it appears he and head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who was also recently extended, will be around for a long time.