Cleveland Cavaliers: 2016 Offseason Grades

As the defending NBA champions, the Cleveland Cavaliers took care of business this summer to remain contenders. Here are their complete 2016 offseason grades.

Coming off their first ever NBA championship season, the Cleveland Cavaliers and their fans were living the Hakuna Matata life. The impending draft and free agency period felt like something for other teams to worry about, but not the defending champs.

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Even if LeBron James shocked the world again and left Cleveland, even if the Cavs returned to being Eastern Conference bottom-feeders, and even if J.R. Smith had to finally put a shirt back on, no one could ever take that championship away from them.

Luckily for the Cavs and their fans, the front office was not complacent over the summer.

With the Golden State Warriors retooling and adding Kevin Durant, the Cavaliers were unable to match that kind of marquee move from their Finals opponent over the last two years.

They did, however, manage to cement their place as top dogs in the Eastern Conference, locking King James back in and trying to address some of their departed depth. The Cavs still have one matter of business to attend to, but for the most part, Cleveland kept its title window open for more than a one-and-done.

Here’s a look at the Cleveland Cavaliers’ complete 2016 offseason grades.

Next: The Draft

The Draft

The Cavaliers didn’t own their first round pick this year thanks to a three-team trade with the Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets in 2014 when they dumped Tyler Zeller, Jarrett Jack and Sergey Karasev — you know, the trade Cleveland made to clear out the requisite cap space to sign LeBron James, who just finished bringing the Cavs their first ever NBA championship.

Safe to say Cleveland has no regrets about missing out on the first round of this year’s draft, even if they need to inject some youth into the lineup at some point.

However, in the second round, the Cavs bought their way into the draft at No. 54 and got pretty solid value with Oakland’s Kay Felder. Cleveland signed him to a four-year, partially guaranteed deal.

As an undersized, 5’9″ point guard, Felder’s electric play is reminiscent of Isaiah Thomas. He’s a fiery competitor who’s lightning quick and can score from almost anywhere on the court, but unlike Isaiah Thomas, he brings the intensity and focus on the defensive end of the floor too.

Felder averaged 24.4 points, 9.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game in his junior season with the Golden Grizzlies, shooting 44 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from three-point range.

Watching him play, the Thomas comparisons are warranted — it may come in a small package, but he’s just pure, unadulterated fun.

At NBA Summer League, Felder didn’t have too much of a problem putting the ball in the basket over bigger defenders, averaging 15.3 points, 3.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game on 42 percent shooting — though he only converted 22.7 percent of his three-pointers.

If he can overcome his disadvantage in stature, spread the floor and fulfill his utmost potential as a long-term Mo Williams replacement at the backup point guard spot, this pick will have tremendous value.

Grade: B+

Next: No Deal For Delly

No Deal For Delly

When the Milwaukee Bucks made restricted agent Matthew Dellavedova a whopping four-year, $38.4 million offer, it puts the Cavs in a tough spot. Sure, everyone in Cleveland loved Delly. He had underrated value as the team’s backup point guard last season, averaging 7.5 points and 4.4 assists per game on 41 percent three-point shooting.

But was he worth $9.6 million a year for a Cavs team that had finally been vindicated with a ring and was already hard-pressed for cap space thanks to its massive bankroll? Absolutely not, and it was no surprise to quickly learn that Cleveland wasn’t going to match that offer:

Luckily for the Cavs though, they were able to turn Milwaukee’s offer sheet into a sign-and-trade, ensuring they didn’t lose their backup floor general for nothing. All they got in return were the draft rights to Albert Miralles and a $4.8 million trade exception, but they were able to put that to good use not long after.

The 34-year-old Miralles will never have an NBA career, but the trade exception came in handy when the Chicago Bulls needed to dump salary to sign Dwyane Wade.

Losing their backup point guard and leader in reckless hustle plays hurts, but the Cavs at least got something out of it and can still turn to Mo Williams or rookie Kay Felder to replace him.

Grade: B-

Next: Dunleavy Deal

Dunleavy Deal

Remember that $4.8 million exception? When the Bulls tried to clear room for Wade and needed trade partners to dump Jose Calderon and Mike Dunleavy on, that exception came in handy for Cleveland.

In a deal with Chicago for Dunleavy and the rights to forward Vladimir Veremeenko, the Cavs only had to give up the rights to the newly acquired Albert Miralles. Veremeenko, who was originally drafted back in 2006 and is now 32, is a virtual throwaway, but Dunleavy can bolster Cleveland’s bench — provided he can stay healthy, of course.

Over his last six seasons, Dunleavy never shot worse than 38 percent from three-point range, often hovering right around (or above) the 40 percent mark. He’s a fiercer (and sometimes dirtier) competitor than you’d guess from his demeanor, making him a perfect pseudo-replacement for Delly.

Dunleavy can provide floor-spacing and spot-up accuracy for a team that thrived in those areas during its championship run. Dunleavy could thrive in an environment where he’ll get plenty of open looks, and even in his injury-plagued season last year, Dunleavy still converted 39.4 percent of his threes.

Unfortunately, that’s the real downside to this deal: Can the 35-year-old wing stay healthy in his 15th NBA season? Dunleavy has missed 51 games and 19 games over his last two seasons, and back injuries typically don’t just go away.

The Cavs didn’t use much of their bench during their title run, so even if Dunleavy fails to stay healthy, it’s not a huge loss. But if he’s able to come in and help determine the result of even one close playoff game, the Cavaliers can rest easy knowing they didn’t lose Delly for nothing.

Grade: B

Next: Jefferson Rejoins

Jefferson Rejoins

Heading into the offseason, the 36-year-old Richard Jefferson had his chance to ride off into the sunset. The 15-year veteran had just won his first NBA championship, he had played the part of hero/X-factor in the Finals by filling in for Kevin Love as a starter, and it felt like the perfect way to conclude the final chapter of his career.

Instead, the Cavs front office convinced him to stave off retirement for another two years with a $5 million bargain deal.

Though Jefferson only averaged 5.5 points in 17.9 minutes per game for Cleveland last season, he shot 38.2 percent from three-point range and wound up playing a major role in bringing the Cavaliers their first NBA championship.

In the Finals, Jefferson’s numbers barely spiked to 5.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, but he shot 51.6 percent from the floor, and between his defense and the threat he posed by putting the ball on the floor as a small-ball 4, he made Cleveland a tougher matchup than when they had Love out there.

For a team that lost both Dellavedova and Timofey Mozgov this summer, bringing Jefferson back was a low-key but important move for Cleveland’s depth. Doing so on such a minuscule contract just makes it that much sweeter, even if his production will probably dwindle over the next two years.

Grade: B+

Next: The Return Of The King

The Return Of The King

Everyone assumed LeBron James would re-sign with his hometown Cavaliers after bringing the franchise its first ever championship. It took awhile, but Cleveland made the (third) return of the King official with a three-year, $100 million contract.

The deal, which will pay James $31 million in 2016-17, will make him the NBA’s highest paid player for the first time in his Hall of Fame career. Never a better time than right after resurrecting Cleveland from a 3-1 Finals deficit and leading them to a title against a 73-win juggernaut!

King James Gospel

Though it’s insane that LeBron was never the league’s highest paid player until now, when he’s entering his age-32 season, there’s no question he deserved his latest payday. No matter what else happened this summer, Cleveland’s offseason would’ve been a success as long as they brought back their best player and hometown hero.

By signing King James for at least two more years (with a $35.6 million player option for the third year), Cavs fans can rest easy knowing their basketball savior will keep them in the title hunt for the foreseeable future. As long as Cleveland has LeBron, they should be the overwhelming favorites to represent the East in the Finals.

That may not last forever, especially as the minutes continue to pile up and LeBron approaches his mid-30s. But don’t forget, this is the same guy that most people doubted as recently as this season. None of that stopped him from closing out the last three games of the Finals with a 41-16-7-3-3 masterpiece, a 41-11-8-4-3 performance and a 27-11-11-3-2 triple-double in the clincher.

LeBron is built like a freight train, he’s a cyborg when it comes to continually avoiding injury and he’s learned how to pace himself during the regular season. The Warriors have assembled perhaps the most formidable super-team in NBA history, but with the Cavaliers bringing back LeBron, basketball fans everywhere should be excited about the prospect of Warriors vs. Cavs, Part Three.

Grade: A+

Next: The Summer Of J.R.?

The Summer Of J.R.?

Over the last few months, J.R. Smith has:

• Made a pair of crucial shots late in Game 7 of the NBA Finals
• Won over the hearts and minds of America for good with his emotional postgame presser
• Rightfully decided to never wear a T-shirt again
• Had all of his exploits featured in a wonderful video game simulation from The Ringer
• Earned a verbal endorsement from LeBron James asking the front office to get his contract situation taken care of

It has truly been the summer of J.R. Smith, but much like last summer, Smith and the Cavaliers brass have been unable to agree upon a contract extension.

Like last summer, it’s assumed the two sides will eventually find a common ground and bring back a crucial wing player that King James has embraced. Last season, Smith averaged 12.4 points per game last year, spreading the floor with 40 percent shooting from distance.

Though he’s never been the most stable personality, Smith has found a true home in Cleveland. From his increased defensive focus to his accurate three-point shooting, Smith has fulfilled his role in a way that he hadn’t since he won the Sixth Man of the Year Award with the Knicks.

Considering some of the deals that have been handed out to guys like Evan Turner (four years, $70 million), Allen Crabbe (four years, $75 million), Kent Bazemore (four years, $70 million) and even more team friendly deals like Mirza Teletovic (three years, $30 million) or Courtney Lee (four years, $50 million), it’s not unreasonable to expect something like three years and $45 million for J.R. — which is reportedly not far off what he’s expecting.

The Cavs have one last piece of business to take care of, and it’s one that would make their franchise player happy. Without a proper replacement available on the market, it’s time for the front office to brace for yet another hefty luxury tax bill and pay up to keep the Summer of J.R. rolling.

Grade: Incomplete

Next: Odds And Ends

Odds And Ends

The Cavs’ roster is largely the same as in 2015-16, but the front office also made a couple of minor moves to round out the edges of the rotation.

For starters, there was the Sasha Kaun salary dump, sending the rarely used youngster to the Philadelphia 76ers for the rights to Chukwudiebere Maduabum. The trade was made in order to clear enough room for Chris Andersen.

By signing the Birdman to a one-year deal worth the veteran minimum, LeBron adds another favorite former teammate of his. Andersen and James played together in Miami, winning a championship in 2013.

Though he only averaged 3.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 14.9 minutes per game last year with the Heat and Memphis Grizzlies, the Birdman is only meant to supply Cleveland’s frontcourt with extra depth, not play a significant role in repeating as NBA champions.

In the category of former Heat teammates, the Cavs also brought back James Jones on a one-year deal worth the veteran minimum. The 14-year veteran averaged a meager 3.7 points in 9.6 minutes per game last season, but shot 39.4 percent from three-point range and serves as a “desperate times, desperate measures” option on the wing.

Cleveland also exercised its team option on third-stringer Jordan McRae for the 2016-17 season. McRae, who owns the NBA D-League single-game scoring record with 61 points, averaged 24.3 points per game for the Cavs’ NBA Summer League team this offseason and earned All-Summer League First Team honors.

Finally, the Cavaliers added DeAndre Liggins to a non-guaranteed, two-year deal (with the second year being a team option). Originally drafted back in 2011, this 6’6″ shooting guard has spent the last few years bouncing around the D-League, Russia and Germany.

Liggins helped the Sioux Falls Skyforce win the D-League title last season. He averaged 5.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game on .500/.455/.800 shooting splits for Cleveland’s NBA Summer League team this summer.

None of these new additions moves the needle much for the Cavs, but having a little extra depth in the event of injury never hurts either.

Grade: C+

Next: Overall

Overall

Coming off their first ever championship, it would’ve been easy for the Cavs to be complacent this summer. Instead, they worked their way into the second round of the draft to snag Kay Felder, added a useful bench scorer in Mike Dunleavy and ensured their status as perennial contenders by bringing back LeBron James.

The new deal for King James is a victory in and of itself, but the Cavs also avoided him signing another 1+1 deal, opting out next summer — when the cap jumps to $102 million — and signing an even larger deal.

However, Cleveland also lost a bit of depth this summer with Mozgov and Dellavedova departing. Mozzy was hardly a factor come playoff time and Delly similarly struggled in the Finals, but they helped with the grind of the regular season.

There were no blockbuster moves to be had for Cleveland this summer, which automatically knocks them down a peg from the Warriors — a team that won 73 games last year, was one win (and possibly a Draymond Green suspension) away from the title and just added Kevin Durant.

More hoops habit: Chicago Bulls: 2016 Offseason Grades

Just by bringing LeBron James back though, the Cavs would’ve gotten something in the “A” range. If they’re able to take care of business and bring J.R. Smith back into the fold, this A- will move up to a full A.

Grade: A-