5 takeaways from the 2017 NBA Finals

4. Changes are coming in Cleveland

Did we mention that this is a copycat league? Whether he wants to admit it or not, LeBron James originally started this recent super-team trend — when it comes to players taking super-team matters into their own hands, at least.

Don’t be surprised if the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ offseason is a direct response to the impending reign of this Warriors juggernaut.

LeBron James was tremendous in these Finals, perhaps putting forth the best performance of his legendary career in any championship series. But it still wasn’t enough to avoid a gentleman’s sweep, and the odds are stacked against him from here on out.

At age 32, heading toward a 33rd birthday in December and already sporting more than 50,000 minutes on his NBA odometer, LeBron’s window for contending for titles won’t be open forever.

The timing of this Warriors dynasty is unfortunate for the King and the Cavaliers, which is why it’s probably not surprising to hear rumors about LeBron leaving for Los Angeles down the road.

The Cavs ransacked the East this year, and were still thoroughly outmatched in the Finals. For an all-time great like LeBron James, the question after yet another Finals defeat becomes how his team can improve moving forward.

Whether these L.A. rumors are grounded in fact, in pure fiction or simply represent a ploy from LeBron’s camp to make sure Cleveland doesn’t sit back on its heels, you can expect the Cavaliers to be active this summer.

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The most likely trade candidate is Kevin Love, who would still have some value on the trade market. LeBron and Kyrie Irving are obviously the untouchables, but outside of the Big Three, no one on Cleveland’s roster would bring in enough talent to make up that talent gap compared to Golden State.

The Cavs will have a tough time finding the right deal to bring in star talent, and with their salary cap situation, they’ll have a hard enough time rounding out the bench, let alone signing a legitimate difference-maker.

Nevertheless, a team with LeBron James in the final few years of his prime will ensure this Cavaliers team is aggressive in pursuing upgrades in any way possible. Everyone knows this group cannot beat the Warriors as currently constructed. Now it’s a matter of finding a blueprint to establish equal footing again.