CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It’s the latest edition of Hey, Chris!
The submissions for this post once again came from Cavs Insider subscribers, who received a text message to send one question each. The best were chosen. Want to receive Cavs Insider texts and communicate directly with me? Sign up for a 14-day free trial with your phone number and perhaps one of your questions will be used in the next edition of Hey, Chris! You can also sign up by texting me at 216-208-4499.
Recommended NBA stories
- Could a James Harden exit from 76ers clear the Cavs’ path to contention?
- Cavs scheduled to work out Akron native ahead of 2023 NBA Draft; one of many players on radar
- Should the Cavs have seller’s remorse when it comes to Kevin Love? Hey, Chris!
Hey, Chris: Where do the Cavs rank in the Eastern Conference heading into the offseason? -- Mitch, Barberton
Hey, Mitch: This is an important summer, and the contention clock has started ticking faster. After a 51-win campaign and illuminating first-round exit, the Cavs can’t afford to take any steps back in the Eastern Conference. It’s on the front office to understand why they lost that non-competitive playoff series and address their weaknesses while also not overreacting to a horrible outcome.
Should Milwaukee consider its championship roster broken because it flamed out in round one? Should the Heat rise to the East’s top spot because they made it to the NBA Finals? How will the coaching changes in Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Toronto alter the hierarchy? Is any team ready to make a Cavs-like ascension? What’s the proper assessment of the 44-win Heat? Are they just not an 82-game group?
There are many questions to parse through.
At the start of the 2022-23 campaign, even after acquiring star guard Donovan Mitchell, I wrote about Cleveland not being on the same tier as battle-tested and star-studded Milwaukee, Boston and Philadelphia.
That hasn’t changed -- although James Harden leaving as a free agent and the 76ers’ potential move in response would matter a ton in this conversation. So, barring a significant roster shakeup from Boston (would they trade Jaylen Brown?), Milwaukee (what happens with free agent Khris Middleton?) or Miami (do they go star hunting if they can’t make an historic Finals comeback?), the Cavs are no higher than the fifth-best East team. It’s also fair to wonder if the Knicks should be slotted above them too, especially considering what happened in April.
Either way, before any flurry of activity this offseason, the Cavs are right on the playoff cut line, with a path to improve and other organizations capable of climbing.
The Hawks should be better with more time for backcourt mates Dejounte Murray and Trae Young to coalesce and an extended acclimation period in new coach Quin Snyder’s offense-friendly system. The Raptors have decisions to make with leader Fred VanVleet and swingman Gary Trent Jr. after a coaching change that could provide a jolt. The Bulls look to be in basketball purgatory, without a straightforward exit strategy.
Last season, it took 45 wins to avoid the play-in tournament.
Let’s allow the summer to play out -- for every team. But my initial feeling is the fourth-seeded Cavs are positioned about where they ended last year: In the conference’s second tier, battling for one of the final, locked-in playoff spots.
Hey, Chris: How do the Cavs take the next step and become championship contenders? -- Bob, Tallahassee, FL
Hey, Bob: One path is external improvement.
The playoffs have spotlighted a primary -- and unequivocal -- truth: The Cavs need more shooting. Adding a sniper or two would open the floor for Darius Garland and Mitchell, providing more driving lanes and a better shot profile. It would diversify Cleveland’s offense, creating more off-ball movement. It would make an offense that averaged a paltry 94 points and ranked near the bottom in every meaningful shooting category during the five playoff games more explosive. Replacing Isaac Okoro with a legitimate offensive threat at small forward would drastically raise Cleveland’s ceiling.
Rui Hachimura? Gary Trent Jr.? Malik Beasley? Max Strus? Grant Williams? Donte DiVincenzo? Harrison Barnes? Kelly Oubre Jr.? Jalen McDaniels? Joe Ingles? Josh Richardson? Cam Johnson would be an ideal addition, but the Cavs probably can’t afford him.
What about other wings on the trade market?
Can the Cavs revisit their Royce O’Neale pursuit and reunite Mitchell with his good buddy? Would the Hawks move Bogdan Bogdanovic? Would Cleveland have enough quality defenders to mask Duncan Robinson’s glaring defensive flaws -- and make a phone call to Miami? Has Detroit’s price come down on Bojan Bogdanovic? Is there a deal to be made with the Clippers for Norman Powell? Surely the Warriors wouldn’t trade Andrew Wiggins, right? Dallas bomber Tim Hardaway Jr. has been on Cleveland’s radar for a while, so it makes sense to reach out again. Would San Antonio’s Doug McDermott even play in coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s defense-first system?
Finding a two-way wing is atop the priority list. The Cavs have the full $12.2 midlevel exception and some ancillary trade pieces.
The other path is internal improvement.
Evan Mobley controls Cleveland’s future. If he can take the proverbial third-year leap, becoming more of a perimeter threat, with a respectable outside shot, it would answer many questions. Garland and Mitchell should be better with another year together. Jarrett Allen can learn from his playoff struggles. Ricky Rubio will be further removed from an ACL tear. Bickerstaff gained valuable experience. Okoro is still just 22 years old. There are reasons to believe this core, with small improvements around the margins, can compete in the East.
After all, the NBA Finals are an ode to stability and staying the course.
Hey, Chris: What should fans make of the chatter about Mitchell going to New York? -- Julie, Norton
Hey, Julie: This is a complicated question because only Mitchell knows what’s truly in his heart and head. It’s possible the New York native just wants to play for the Knicks at some point in his career -- and there’s nothing the Cavs or any other team can do about that. Many I’ve spoken to around the league believe Mitchell is destined to go there in a few years. His recent comments about the Madison Square Garden playoff crowd only re-ignited speculation.
The New York Post says the Knicks could put a trade package together for Mitchell at some point down the line. Of course, they could. They’d be foolish not to attempt it, especially after coming so close last offseason. But if the offer wasn’t strong enough for Utah, then why would it be for the Cavs? And what else would the Knicks be willing to give?
For now, I’m going to stick with what I’ve said from the beginning: Every indication I’ve gotten from my time around Mitchell is that he wants to win. That, more than anything, is what fuels him.
Despite Cleveland’s playoff ouster, there are plenty of reasons to believe it can be one of the better franchises in the Eastern Conference for the next few years. Mitchell would need to willingly choose to leave that -- a place that caused him to jubilantly run around a golf course upon hearing the news he had been traded from Utah, a place he has already adopted as home, a place he has raved about since his arrival, a place that helped him become Second Team All-NBA while finishing sixth in MVP voting.
Maybe he does leave. Maybe the New York tug is too strong.
If the Cavs get that vibe, then they could flip him in a trade -- and try to recoup some assets -- before it happens. It’s not like his trade value is going to crater over the next few years.
Worrying about that is premature. He is under contract for the next two seasons and has a $37 million player option for the 2025-26 campaign. There isn’t a currently-available player that should make Cleveland think about an immediate deal.
While everything points to him being happy with the Cavs, they can help their case by making smart moves to improve the roster -- and avoiding another early playoff exit.
If you or a loved one has questions and needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-589-9966 or the National Council on Program Gambling Helpline (NCPG) at 1-800-522-4700 or visit 1800gambler.net for more information. 21+ and present in Ohio. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.