The Cleveland Cavaliers had a surprisingly accelerated rebuild after the emergence of two young stars in Darius Garland and Evan Mobley.
With Jarrett Allen anchoring the defense, Mobley and Garland have been free to push their development alongside the unwavering effort of Allen. After doubling their win totals from 22 wins in 2020-21 up to 44 in the 2021-22 season, the Cavs were clearly preparing to make a major step forward in the NBA. Unfortunately, the Cavaliers were unable to make it through the Play-In Tournament, losing both games against the Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks.
Following the Play-In disappointment, Cleveland made a franchise-changing trade in September 2022, acquiring perennial All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz. In return, the Cavs sent Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton, three unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps back to Utah. With such a massive haul, there was no turning back for the Cavs. It became a race to contention rather than a progressive rebuild.
Once again, though, as the Cavaliers took a step forward, they found another hurdle. In the 2023 Playoffs, the Cavs entered the first round with homecourt advantage as the fourth seed, taking on the fifth-seeded New York Knicks. While Cleveland’s defense maintained its dominance, their offense severely dissipated, leading to a short five-game series that sent the Cavaliers to an early vacation.
With Mitchell’s contract extension looming, the Cavaliers spent their free agency adding long range shooting and overall depth to their ranks. The primary acquisitions, Max Strus and Georges Niang, should alleviate Cleveland’s struggles on the perimeter. On paper, the changes to Cleveland’s roster could elevate them past their latest shortcoming. In practice, though, these additions will only take the Cavs into contention if the rest of the roster and coaching staff can continue to improve and take the necessary steps.
If the Cleveland Cavaliers have another disappointing season, Chris Fedor suggested there will be significant changes in personnel in a recent interview with Zach Lowe on The Lowe Post podcast.
Let’s begin with the first potential change, involving the coaching staff in that case.
A major point of discussion this summer centered around head coach J.B. Bickerstaff after the team’s predictable offensive approach. The stagnancy devastated the Cavaliers as the Knicks could easily control the tempo and suffocate any attempt Cleveland made.
In short, Bickerstaff was out-coached by Knicks veteran head coach Tom Thibodeau. The deserved criticism hurled toward Bickerstaff will put him under the microscope this season. Regardless of his undeniable defensive mind and cultural impact, if Bickerstaff cannot integrate the improved depth Cleveland picked up this year, the coaching staff will be the first piece of the franchise under scrutiny.
Conversely, Bickerstaff’s position in Cleveland could be safely guaranteed if he manages a more “dynamic” offense as he reportedly is planning to introduce. Examples of this have already been witnessed in the offseason, as the Cavaliers have thus far battled without Allen due to a left ankle bone bruise. With Allen sidelined, Cleveland has implemented numerous different offensive approaches, showcasing the potential fluidity Bickerstaff could find for the Cavs.
The critical element in this scheme will be the consistency in Bickerstaff’s mindset. As Fedor mentioned in Lowe’s podcast, the Cavs will need to be “unpredictable”, always changing their approach to counteract the opponent’s defensive weaknesses.
While a coaching change could help the Cavaliers improve their offensive attack, it would only be the start of things to come. The clock is ticking on convincing Mitchell to stay in Cleveland, and next summer would have to be a major retooling.
Although Jarrett Allen’s arrival in Cleveland was one of the first major steps toward contention, his lackluster production in the playoffs has caused his name to circulate in trade rumors all summer. Additionally, with the Cavs likely viewing Evan Mobley as a long-term center rather than a power forward, Allen’s fit in Cleveland could become troublesome. If Allen cannot make a major impact in the postseason this year, his tenure on the Cavaliers might be over sooner than expected.
Another Cavalier with a complex relationship on the team is 2020 first-round pick Isaac Okoro. Okoro was selected in the middle of Cleveland’s rebuild. He was chosen as a rough prospect, and the Cavs hoped to develop his skillset as a 3-and-D wing over time. Unfortunately for Okoro, the Cavaliers’ sudden shift into contention has left Okoro’s development wanting.
Both players are indisputably fantastic players on a strong team, but their fit in Cleveland could become unresolved next summer in the wake of another failed season. Okoro’s rookie extension will be a major point of contention this season, adding another layer of dramatics to his situation. Trading Okoro after the season without a preexisting extension would be a frantic situation for the Cavs.
As for Jarrett Allen, his team-friendly $20 million salary and his All-Star-caliber talent makes the traditional center a monumental trade piece if the Cavaliers feel the need to make the move. It is possible that Cleveland would package Allen alongside Okoro to alleviate the extension complications and acquire a higher-salaried player.
The past two summers have shown that the Cleveland Cavaliers are not afraid of offseason moves, small and large. Chris Fedor suggested that a first-round exit (barring an uncontrollable and unfortunate circumstance) would be the turning point for Cleveland.
Finally, the Cavaliers may look to change their extension plans and hold off what may end up inevitable after a second failed postseason.
Following another failed year, the Cavs would likely postpone their desire to extend Donovan Mitchell, recognizing his path forward might end in a new destination than Cleveland.
The Knicks were notorious in their hopes to pick up Mitchell in 2022, only to be outbid by the Cavaliers. Mitchell became extension eligible this summer, though he publicly announced he will not sign a contract extension this year, holding off at least until next summer. He cited that this year he is solely focused on playing winning basketball. It is not the most ideal response, but he will also be able to sign a longer, more profitable extension if he waits.
Should the Cavs fail again, those extension discussions will not go as planned. Though the plans currently are to resume discussions next offseason, a disappointing end to the season would once again push these talks into the future. Instead, the discussions may revolve around convincing Mitchell not to request a trade.
As for Mitchell, he had his best season of his career after joining the Cavs, earning his first All-NBA Second Team appearance and averaging a career-high 28.3 points per game. The 27-year-old star is just now beginning to enter his prime, but a disappointing Cavaliers team may seem poised not to maximize his prime years, but squander them.
In the end, this season will be a crucial year for Cleveland basketball. The future is not written in stone, and the Cavaliers have the chance to write themselves into the history books once again, less than a decade after their lone 2016 championship. Otherwise, the new-look Cavaliers could look drastically new once again.