Cavaliers News: Media Day, Mitchell extension, worst week

After months of waiting the 2023-24 NBA season has officially begun, with all 30 teams now engaged in Training Camp. The Cleveland Cavaliers kicked things off with their Media Day on Monday and began camp on Tuesday, continuing the unofficial work the team had been putting in for weeks.

What’s the latest news for the Cavaliers? There is plenty to talk about after Media Day, so let’s dig into the most important things from the past week.

Media Day is an important day on an NBA team’s calendar. It’s often the first time that team officials, coaches and players have spoken to the media in months, but it’s also a day for taking pictures and video and otherwise getting player engagement in the “media” the team itself will present during the season.

Here are some highlights from the Cavaliers’ Media Day:

• Koby Altman addressed his arrest for driving while impaired last month, saying “I feel awful about the distraction that this incident has caused our organization and team.” He didn’t comment further, including on whether he expects to be disciplined by ownership.
• Ricky Rubio was excused by the team from training camp, so he was not present at Media Day and will not be with the team over the coming weeks. The Cavaliers released a statement that they “remain fully supportive of Ricky and his efforts.”
• Caris LeVert revealed that he had off-season shoulder surgery a year ago, and that hindered his training and start to the season. Fully healthy all offseason, he expects to have a better year this season.
• Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reported last week that Max Strus was confirmed as the fifth starter. Strus himself said that he expects to start, but head coach J.B. Bickerstaff stopped short of declaring him the starter. He praised Strus, but then said “I don’t know who’s going to start for us on opening night.”
• Speaking of Strus, he shared that he spoke to Kevin Love about the possibility of joining the Cleveland Cavaliers. Love “couldn’t have been more positive about the city of Cleveland alone and the organization.”

Donovan Mitchell was asked about whether he expects to sign an extension with the Cavaliers, and he made it clear that he was not going to sign anything this offseason, but instead look to next offseason to have those negotiations. He said that decision was not a financial one but rather an attempt to focus on this season, when he believes the Cavs can do great things.

Evan Mobley shared that he has gained muscle this summer and is ready to “take off” this season. When asked about his goals for the season, he named two specific individual goals: Make the All-Star Team and win Defensive Player of the Year.

The Cleveland Cavaliers thought they had an opening. The Milwaukee Bucks were aging, the Philadelphia 76ers imploding, the Boston Celtics gambling on an injury-prone big, the Miami Heat losing key players and not replacing them. Was this the season for them to break through?

Then the past week happened. Damian Lillard is on the Bucks, forming the most lethal two-man offensive combo, while Jrue Holiday is on the Celtics, giving them the best Top-6 in the league. If there was a door open, it was now slammed shut, and likely for multiple seasons. It was the worst week for the Cavaliers in 13 years.

Other News from around the Association:

• James Harden did not report to Media Day for the Philadelphia 76ers, but it was reported that he is expected to join the team in the next day or two. As our sister site The Sixer Sense writers, however, a Harden sighting in Denver could hint at some Harden subterfuge.
• Devin Vassell became the latest member of the 2020 Draft Class to agree to an extension, signing a five-year, $135 million deal with another $11 in incentives. It was a clear win for the Spurs and a reasonable deal for Vassell.
• Last season Jimmy Butler showed up to Media Day with long, “Bob Marley” style dreadlocks, stating it was his new look. It wasn’t; he went back to his usual look a day later. What he was doing was ensuring that his official player headshot had the dreadlocks. Every time that the NBA advertised a game they showed that picture of him. Well, Butler did the same thing this year, showing up with straight hair hanging in front of his face, calling it his “Emo” stage. Yet instead of laughing at Butler again joking around and messing with his official photo, many pundits are taking Butler going “Emo” at face value.

We’ve been busy here at King James Gospel preparing for the new season. Here are some key stories from the past week for you to read:

• Darius Garland is one of the best long-range shooters in NBA history. Dan Gilinsky digs into a specific stat to illustrate his shooting ability.
• With Damian Lillard now off the board, the rest of the NBA trade landscape may shake loose. Josh Cornelissen looks at an expensive trade proposal with the Indiana Pacers.
• Cornelissen also highlights three issues that the Cavaliers must sort out during Training Camp.
• Ready for some nostalgia? John Suchan reveals his All-Time Cleveland Cavaliers Starting Lineup. You know LeBron James is on the team, but who joins him? Are there any surprises?

The Cavaliers are now engaged in Training Camp in Cleveland (shout out to the 76ers flying all the way to Colorado for camp!) and will keep working until their first preseason game on Tuesday the 10th in Atlanta against the Hawks. The regular season starts on October 25th for the Cavs.