The Cavaliers made it back to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2018—and after getting swept by the Knicks, it still somehow feels like a disappointing result.
Cleveland emerged from two hard-fought seven-game series poised to steal Game 1 from New York before an absolutely epic collapse in the fourth quarter led to a stunning loss. That would be the closest the series would get; from that point on the Knicks steamrolled the Cavaliers to the extent they seemed to give up a few times between Game 3 and Game 4. It was a spectacular flame-out that wipes away whatever good feelings might’ve resulted from two playoff series wins.
Worse, it feels like indisputable evidence that the Cavs as currently constructed aren’t a championship-caliber team. The structural issues James Harden and Donovan Mitchell cause together defensively makes for a fatal flaw inherent in any team built around them; if Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen can’t cover for their issues, nobody can. The roster is obviously good enough to win playoff games against flawed opponents but the Knicks series was ugly enough to inspire great doubt they can seriously compete with the best of the best. And given it is the NBA’s most expensive roster there are significant pitfalls in just running it back without any changes.
Thus, the chorus has been both loud and uniform in the short time since Cleveland’s season ended—LeBron James must come home for the Cavs to compete once more, as laid out by our own Chris Mannix on Monday after Game 4’s blowout defeat. James is no longer the all-consuming talent he was for his first two stints in Cleveland but he is certainly good enough to play a role on a contender. The Cavs would have to move pieces around to bring him in (depending whether he might accept a pay cut and, if so, to what degree) but he’d be coming home to play with stars like Mitchell and Harden, if not those two themselves.
The franchise would certainly love the opportunity to make this reality. Even if it doesn’t lead to a championship, James making his last lap for the Cavaliers is great theater and owner Dan Gilbert would make a killing (for a third time!) on a new batch of No. 23 jerseys. If it did lead to a title it would automatically rank among one of the best sports stories of the century. There is effectively zero downside.
However, it takes two to tango. There is a real chance a LeBron return isn’t in the cards for Cleveland. In fact, that might be the most likely outcome at this early stage in James’s decision-making process for next season.
Which begs the question: What do the Cavaliers do if James doesn’t come home?
The answer makes Cleveland one of the most interesting teams in the offseason.
Cavs can’t stand still if James doesn’t come back
As explained above, the Cavaliers cannot stand still if the Plan A of getting LeBron to come back doesn’t pan out. The Knicks don’t seem like they’re going anywhere anytime soon and just annihilated this version of Cleveland’s roster. Boston and Detroit seem only likely to get better in the coming years. Then there’s the possibility Orlando, Toronto or Charlotte take the next step. And with the report on Tuesday that the organization plans to retain Kenny Atkinson as coach, the only way to ensure the Cavs can keep up with the competition is to enact dramatic change upon this roster.
If team president Koby Altman agrees, Cleveland has the capabilty to upend the upcoming offseason.
With or without James, the Cavs figure to be major players for the talents of Giannis Antetokounmpo. They were rumored to be interested at the trade deadline but didn’t push to get a deal done because the Bucks wanted Evan Mobley to be part of the package. If Cleveland changes its mind about Mobley’s availability in trade talks in a desperate attempt to go all-in with Mitchell and Harden, that puts the Cavs near the front of the line for the Greek superstar’s talents. But with very little by way of draft picks to offer Milwaukee, they’d likely have to loop in other teams to push a trade across the finish line.
Depending on the teams involved, a potential Giannis trade doesn’t have to be a multi-team blockbuster, but if Cleveland gets involved it definitely will be. That alone makes for a possible chain reaction, an offseason spark onto the tinder of trade machine-centric discussion. The Cavs can topple the biggest domino of the summer and a few more along with by pushing their chips into the middle of the table and acquiring Antetokounmpo.
But if a pursuit of the Greek Freak doesn’t pan out, the Cavs still have to make changes. Which is where things could get mighty interesting.
It’s no secret Mitchell extension talks will be held this offseason as the star guard enters the final year of his deal. It’s also no secret Harden wants an extension of his own as he holds a player option for next season. Could the Cavaliers opt to sign one and trade the other to more evenly balance the team?
Harden hitting the trade market wouldn’t be anything new and this playoff run should be the death of any perception he can be the final piece for a championship contender. But he remains exceptionally productive offensively and appealing to any number of medium-tier teams hoping to raise their floor. Mitchell would be a much more interesting option and something Cleveland should consider as an alternative to committing more long-term money to the 29-year-old. He moves the needle much more than Harden even if he also hasn’t proven up to the task of being a No. 1 option on a true contender.
Of course, there’s always the nuclear option—trade everybody except Mobley and aggressively pivot. Which doesn’t seem like a likely possibility because, as much fun as it is to do it in NBA2K, that kind of complete roster deconstruction rarely happens in real life. But if the franchise is as high on Mobley as they appear to be, it could make for a fascinating path. Restocking the asset cupboard by trading Harden, Mitchell and Jarrett Allen while building around a 23-year-old Defensive Player of the Year isn’t the worst idea in the world on paper. It would also overhaul the current championship landscape; teams that burned out early this year like the Celtics, Lakers or Nuggets would undoubtedly be interested in one or several of those pieces.
All of these possibilities stem from the undeniable truth that the Cavs cannot stand still. What’s more, the team is already so expensive that Cleveland can’t add to the roster without giving somebody up. Exactly how aggressive the Cavs will be remains to be seen but if they get active on the trade market—as they should, whether it’s to clear the way to sign James or otherwise—they can shake up this offseason at a moment’s notice.
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