It would be easy for Koby Altman to rest back and enjoy the fruits of his labors.
While he isn't actually lacing up his sneakers and going out onto the court, he can take a lot of personal credit for the success of the Cleveland Cavaliers this season. Altman, as the Cavaliers' President of Basketball Operations, played a major role in forming the team that is currently 36-9 and in first place in the Eastern Conference.
Altman's first major trade did not go as planned; Kyrie Irving forced his way out of town, and Altman was forced to find the best possible return in difficult circumstances. Yet it's hard to argue with much of his recent track record. His fingerprints are on the entire roster as currently constructed, and that has included a number of standout trades, signings and decisions.
He drafted Darius Garland even though the team already had Collin Sexton; he drafted Evan Mobley even though Jarrett Allen was in town. He uncovered players like Dean Wade and Ty Jerome while helping Caris LeVert and Allen reach new heights. Trading for Donovan Mitchell was a bold move that has changed the entire trajectory of the franchise.
This past summer, Altman not only negotiated for Donovan Mitchell to sign a new extension, he got Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley locked up on fair extensions for years to come, drafted promising rookie forward Jaylon Tyson, and made the difficult yet clearly correct decision to move on from head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and hire former Warriors coach Kenny Atkinson.
With all of that in mind, it would be very reasonable for Altman to ease up, let the season play its course, and evaluate the team after a full run through the regular season and playoffs. Why mess with a good thing?
Yet, likely to his credit, Altman is doing no such thing. Instead, rumors continue to emerge that he is instead working hard to examine every potential upgrade to the roster.
Koby Altman is looking at a big swing
When you ask NBA analysts and salary cap experts, they all expect the Cleveland Cavaliers to make a small trade to lower their salary below the luxury tax line. If you break down the needs of the roster, you may conclude that the only real business the Cavaliers are likely to make is to add a third-string center to replace Tristan Thompson.
Yet the only true reporting on what the Cavaliers are interested in doing -- what they have picked up the phone and called about -- is a much larger deal: a trade for Brooklyn Nets forward Cam Johnson.
The six-year veteran is having the best season of his career, hitting 41.9 percent of his 7.6 3-point attempts per game and averaging 19.4 points per game. He has stepped up into a larger role now that Mikal Bridges and Dennis Schroder are gone, and even in the midst of the Nets' tanking maneuvers has made himself into a player nearly every playoff teams in the league wants.
The theory of Johnson makes sense on the Cavaliers. Whether he starts or not, he is the ideal player to pair with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen as a stretch-4, getting up shots from the perimeter with both accuracy and volume. He is not a terrible defender, and his offensive utility would open up even more opportunities for an already-lethal Cavaliers offense.
Yet Johnson will not come free, and that is where the difficulty in Cleveland making a trade emerges. They are said to be looking for two premium assets for Johnson at the very least. The Cavaliers are limited in their draft assets and only have Jaylon Tyson as a prospect sweetener. Can they put together a deal that entices Brooklyn and is palatable for the Cavaliers?
Whatever the answer to that question, Altman is not playing it safe or taking it easy this season. Instead, he is exploring every possibility, including aggressive swings for the fence to make this team better. Should he be this aggressive? Would the Cavaliers be better off standing pat?
Those are fair questions, and Altman may view his answers to them as backup options. For now, however, the one thing that we know the Cavaliers are doing is calling about significant upgrades. That's the kind of bold action Cleveland fans should be cheering him for.
Now to see what fish he actually lands by the Trade Deadline.