After working hard through 82 games to win 51 games and earn home court advantage in the first round, the Cleveland Cavaliers managed only to win one game in their own arena. In the end, the Cavaliers fell to the New York Knicks 4-1 in the series after a 106-95 loss in Game 5.
The Cavs won Game 2 and appeared to have found the spark they needed to give it their all. Instead, Cleveland watched as the Cavaliers never found their way back to their Game 2 dominance. With lackluster performances from key players and head-scratching rotations, Cleveland will have many questions going into their offseason break.
Over the last few seasons, Cavaliers General Manager Koby Altman has been a patient yet decisive leader for the franchise. Cleveland’s front office has consistently made the most of their draft pick selections, bringing Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, and Evan Mobley to the Wine and Gold. Altman recognized the success of the developing young core and went all-in by bringing Utah Jazz superstar Donovan Mitchell to the Land, a day that will be long remembered from last offseason.
Prior to Mitchell, Altman managed to bring Lauri Markkanen and Jarrett Allen to Cleveland in surprise transactions that brought more talent to the roster cheaper than many would have expected.
Going into this offseason, Koby Altman will be ready to continue his impressive track record, preparing the Cleveland Cavaliers for a higher ceiling in the 2023-2024 NBA season. With many questions left to be answered, these are possible avenues to correct their weaknesses Cleveland’s front office may consider.
Trading and signing for depth
It does not take long for an observant fan to recognize that the Cavaliers lacked any consistent rotational depth, especially at the wing position. At this year’s trade deadline, Cleveland remained silent and chose to put faith in their current roster. After the disappointing exit early in the postseason, Cleveland is likely to begin considering trades to fill out the rotation, one would assume.
Although the Cavaliers have found much of their success through homegrown talent thus far, a trade such as the Donovan Mitchell trade signifies a change in mindset, one that suggests trades and spending to win sooner rather than later. In this case, the truth is that beloved Cavaliers will need to don a new jersey next season to take the next step. There are only so many roster spots, and teams will not surrender valuable talent without something in return.
As of now it is uncertain who may be on the trading block, but Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, and Evan Mobley are likely to be the only truly untouchable players. Additionally, Caris LeVert seems highly likely to return, considering the Cavs will be able to offer him the most money this summer in his unrestricted free agency due to Bird Rights.
A full overhaul of the other roster spots should not be the expectation, but city favorites Isaac Okoro, Jarrett Allen, and Ricky Rubio may be in many rumors going forward along with the likes of Dean Wade and Sam Merrill.
With roughly $12.8 million to spend this offseason outside of their own free agents, the Cavaliers will need to improve mostly through trades rather than signing a whole new bench.
For trade targets for Cleveland, wing depth and a backup big are most likely. Looking at the trade market and free agent market, some rumors have already sprung that could favor the Cavaliers if they are expeditious in their attempts.
At 6-foot 8-inches, Dorian Finney-Smith brings size along with shooting and defense, making him an ideal choice if Altman chooses to make a call to Brooklyn. The issue arises in Finney-Smith’s salary, being owed nearly $20 million dollars next season. The Cavaliers would have to package multiple players (and probably a pile of second-round picks) including Okoro and Rubio to match the contracts.
Staying with Brooklyn, Donovan Mitchell’s former Utah teammate Royce O’Neale is another possible target, but he is still an undersized wing at 6-foot 4-inches, nearly the same height as Okoro. Malik Beasley, Norman Powell, Gary Trent, Jr., and Jalen McDaniels are all potential options, seemingly from there.
McDaniels is going into free agency after playing in Philadelphia this season, and at 6-foot 9-inches, he could be a young difference-maker for this Cleveland roster.
Looking at cheaper options, Boston’s Sam Hauser and Golden State’s Moses Moody are two tall wings who are looking to solidify a spot in a team’s rotation, and in Moody’s case, has 3-and-D capabilities if given the opportunity. Assuming the Cavaliers can keep Okoro in trades for either player, taking a chance on unproven potential could serve to be a gamble worth taking.
In short, there are a lot of calls to make.
As for a backup center, there are numerous upcoming free agents that could fit the bill. Minnesota’s Naz Reid, Toronto’s Jakob Poeltl, Denver’s Thomas Bryant, and Clippers’ center Mason Plumlee are all unrestricted free agents this summer. Additionally, former Cavalier Tristan Thompson will be on the market along with DeMarcus Cousins and potentially Dwight Howard.
The Cavaliers need somebody to grab rebounds, bully smaller defenders, and give the team the grit they missed so sorely against more physical teams.
All these choices are entirely speculative, but the Cavs have no excuse not to be aggressive in efforts to improve their bench rotation and find consistency at the starting forward spot.
A tough discussion with J.B. Bickerstaff
Cleveland head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has earned a great deal of respect. Last season, the Cavaliers were expected to be bottom feeders with no hope. Through Bickerstaff’s leadership, Darius Garland was given an opportunity to showcase his promise as the Cavaliers’ next great point guard alongside Evan Mobley’s terrific rookie season. Without Bickerstaff, Cleveland achieves nowhere near what they have. That being said, the team’s first playoff appearance together showed puzzling rotation choices and stagnant offensive schemes.
In the majority of professional sports, the head coach is the first to face punishment for a team failing to meet their expectations. For this reason, losing 4-1 with home court advantage will be a serious pain point in Bickerstaff’s tenure with the Cavaliers.
Not every piece of blame can be thrust upon Bickerstaff. He led the Cavaliers to one of the NBA’s best defenses all year, and it is clear the team trusts him. Against the Knicks, though, Bickerstaff struggled to outsmart veteran coach Tom Thibodeau. There were far too many offensive plays focused on Mitchell or Garland driving to the hoop and passing out to stationary shooters for a team that ranked 12th in the league in three-point percentage during the regular season.
Thibodeau knows how to win in the NBA Playoffs. He has been there time and time again as a head coach. That difference in postseason experience was painstakingly clear all too often throughout this series. Cleveland lacked direction and intensity. Much of this can be put on the roster’s lack of playoff experience, but that is the job of the head coach to solve. An inexperienced head coach will struggle to make up for an inexperienced roster.
While it is unlikely Cleveland fires Bickerstaff and begins searching for a new head coach, it may be tempting with candidates such as Nick Nurse of the 2019 Toronto Raptors championship team or former Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson looking for their next destination. Koby Altman may believe that Bickerstaff has served as the coach to accompany the rebuild but not the coach to bring the next championship to Cleveland.
Realistically, it is likely the Cavaliers opt to fill out their rotation and give Bickerstaff a chance to prove himself with a more complete roster. If he fails to succeed with a true contender-worthy team, then the hot seat likely catches fire.
In the end, the Cavs do not need to go far to earn another playoff spot next season. They made it, and the rebuild is complete. Growing pains will hurt, but Cleveland has much to appreciate from this season. Not much will change, because not much needs to change. Some Cavs teammates have probably left Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse from the home team locker room for the last time, but these are necessary choices for every organization to make. The Wine and Gold are not amidst a need for a tear down and full rebuild. It is an offseason of retooling and perfecting.
That is a good thing. That is the next step toward hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy again. Next year, the Cleveland Cavaliers will Let ‘Em Know, rest assured.