2021: Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton had been teammates since the 2014-2015 season. In their early years together, the Bucks did not look like championship contenders at all. But, the Bucks front office knew they had two special players who just needed time to develop and grow. By 2019, Khris Middleton was named an All-Star and Giannis was the MVP of the league. But they still couldn't complete the ultimate goal as they were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Toronto Raptors.
The Bucks failed to reach the Finals again in the 2020 postseason. They knew they needed to get better to win it all, but they also knew that trading Middleton was not the answer. The Bucks were able to acquire Jrue Holiday in a trade in the fall of 2020 by giving up Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, and future draft picks. Milwaukee was able to grab another great player without sacrificing one of their current All-Stars. With the addition of Jrue, the Bucks won the NBA Finals the next 2021-2022 season.
It took Giannis some time to become a great player in this league. It wasn't until his fourth season that he made an All-Star team. Evan Mobley is a unicorn-type talent like Giannis. He is entering his fourth season next year and the Cavs should have faith that there is a lot of room for improvement. The duo of Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley could be a championship level duo in the near future.
This era of the NBA is showing that teams need to have patience with their stars. It is rare that any front office can create a super team in one offseason that is ready to win right away. The Boston Celtics are a great blueprint for the Cleveland Cavaliers hopes in winning a championship.
This is not to say that Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland should be completely off limits. But, the Cavaliers should show patience with this core after a promising postseason that was cut short of its full potential by injuries. If there is a clear trade that improves the team, these past champions show that you should pull the trigger (bringing in Jrue Holiday, Andrew Wiggins, Aaron Gordon, etc..)
The Cleveland Cavaliers have a rare collection of young talent that has the potential to become NBA Champions. If this group chooses to stay together, these playoff scars and experiences together will continue to make them stronger and stronger.