Cleveland Cavaliers fans entered the offseason dreaming of Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James. Instead, they got Donovan Mitchell's contract extension, a promising rookie in Meleek Thomas, and not much more.
Koby Altman and company put all their eggs in the LeBron James basket. Once the greatest player in franchise history decided to break the fans' hearts again and signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, there was no Plan B.
Considering that, as much as we would love to disagree, there's no way to argue with David Aldridge. In his latest column for The Athletic, he ranked the Cavaliers' dreadful offseason at No. 23 among all 30 NBA teams.
The Cleveland Cavaliers' poor vision was fully exposed this offseason
Granted, the Cavs probably had every reason to believe that James would go back home. They were the only team to meet with him in person, and it seemed that Cleveland was the only destination that made sense for him (it was).
That said, James has left them hanging in the past, and even if that weren't the case, not having a feasible alternative is just poor planning. They were left scrambling with not many big fish left to chase.
Then, it felt that they did the same thing with Jonathan Kuminga and Peyton Watson. They flirted with both of them, but their inability to close out a deal with any of them might ultimately end up costing them both.
Losing Dean Wade and Keon Ellis can be a lethal blow on the defensive end. Of the few newcomers, only Mario Hezonja and Meleek Thomas might actually have a role in Kenny Atkinson's rotation next season.
This is a team that couldn't get much done in the Eastern Conference Finals and looked multiple steps below the eventual champion, the New York Knicks. A team that saw the Philadelphia 76ers trade for Jaylen Brown and the Toronto Raptors (almost) acquire Kawhi Leonard.
Of course, making a run at James was also supposed to be a league-altering move of their own. But since he didn't come through, what can they do now? Who's left out there to help them? And (more importantly) is this core even worth saving?
Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen have fallen short time and time again, and James Harden is the last person you want on your team in a playoff game. They knew all this, and they still didn't do anything to improve this team in the slightest.
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