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The Cleveland Cavaliers have had an extremely quiet offseason.
The only move they’ve made since being eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals is re-signing Thomas Bryant, while both Dean Wade and Keon Ellis have departed the team in free agency.
Of course, the reason for this is that the Cavaliers are seemingly still in the running for LeBron James. If he signs with Cleveland, it immediately becomes a Finals contender, even with James turning 42 in December.
That is a big if, though, and Koby Altman and the Cavaliers are taking a massive risk by waiting out James’ decision.
There’s no guarantee LeBron comes home (again), and the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, and Golden State Warriors each have compelling cases for the still elite free agent to sign there.
Clearly, the Cavaliers had a talented roster last year, but not enough to be a true championship contender.
Mar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) is defended by Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) and forward Nae'qwan Tomlin (35) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
In the event that James decides to sign elsewhere, the Cavaliers are going to be in a tough spot in terms of ways to improve the roster, or even get back to where they were at the end of last season, with two of their top defensive players leaving.
There were some free agents who would’ve been great fits with the Cavs. For example. Rui Hachimura, Kenrich Williams, or Kelly Oubre Jr. would’ve been great fits with Cleveland.
The keyword is "were," though, because all of them, including the majority of the top-tier free agents, have already signed with a team for next season.
Outside of James, the next best forward on the board is Jonathan Kuminga, whom the Cavaliers have reportedly expressed interest in and is likely waiting to make a decision until after LeBron signs.
If Cleveland doesn’t sign LeBron, the only true path to improving the roster is through a trade, which would be reshuffling pieces rather than truly adding onto a roster that was four wins away from the Finals just a few months back.
At the same time, the Cavs are taking another risk by assuming that opposing teams would be open for business this late in the offseason and don’t already have their sights set on the start of training camp in just a few weeks at this point.
While the Cavaliers are waiting for LeBron, teams around Cleveland are improving.
The 76ers traded for Jaylen Brown and could still land LeBron. The Heat already traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Wizards will be better with Trae Young and Anthony Davis healthy, and the Toronto Raptors have a trade pending for Kawhi Leonard.
The Eastern Conference will be more competitive next season than it was a year before.
The rest of Cleveland’s offseason plans will become clear, whether it includes LeBron James or not. But as long as he remains a free agent and the calendar carries on, the Cavaliers are taking a risk with the ceiling of their team for next year.
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The only move they’ve made since being eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals is re-signing Thomas Bryant, while both Dean Wade and Keon Ellis have departed the team in free agency.
Of course, the reason for this is that the Cavaliers are seemingly still in the running for LeBron James. If he signs with Cleveland, it immediately becomes a Finals contender, even with James turning 42 in December.
That is a big if, though, and Koby Altman and the Cavaliers are taking a massive risk by waiting out James’ decision.
There’s no guarantee LeBron comes home (again), and the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, and Golden State Warriors each have compelling cases for the still elite free agent to sign there.
Clearly, the Cavaliers had a talented roster last year, but not enough to be a true championship contender.
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Mar 31, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) is defended by Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) and forward Nae'qwan Tomlin (35) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
In the event that James decides to sign elsewhere, the Cavaliers are going to be in a tough spot in terms of ways to improve the roster, or even get back to where they were at the end of last season, with two of their top defensive players leaving.
There were some free agents who would’ve been great fits with the Cavs. For example. Rui Hachimura, Kenrich Williams, or Kelly Oubre Jr. would’ve been great fits with Cleveland.
The keyword is "were," though, because all of them, including the majority of the top-tier free agents, have already signed with a team for next season.
Outside of James, the next best forward on the board is Jonathan Kuminga, whom the Cavaliers have reportedly expressed interest in and is likely waiting to make a decision until after LeBron signs.
If Cleveland doesn’t sign LeBron, the only true path to improving the roster is through a trade, which would be reshuffling pieces rather than truly adding onto a roster that was four wins away from the Finals just a few months back.
At the same time, the Cavs are taking another risk by assuming that opposing teams would be open for business this late in the offseason and don’t already have their sights set on the start of training camp in just a few weeks at this point.
While the Cavaliers are waiting for LeBron, teams around Cleveland are improving.
The 76ers traded for Jaylen Brown and could still land LeBron. The Heat already traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Wizards will be better with Trae Young and Anthony Davis healthy, and the Toronto Raptors have a trade pending for Kawhi Leonard.
The Eastern Conference will be more competitive next season than it was a year before.
The rest of Cleveland’s offseason plans will become clear, whether it includes LeBron James or not. But as long as he remains a free agent and the calendar carries on, the Cavaliers are taking a risk with the ceiling of their team for next year.
Cavs Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Cavs. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
Continue reading...
