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Cleveland Cavaliers: Complete 2017 offseason grades

By Josh Cornelissen

BOSTON, MA - MAY 17: Kyrie Irving #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shakes hands with Isaiah Thomas #4 of the Boston Celtics before the game during Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2017 NBA Playoffs on May 17, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MAY 17: Kyrie Irving #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shakes hands with Isaiah Thomas #4 of the Boston Celtics before the game during Game One of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2017 NBA Playoffs on May 17, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images /

The Cleveland Cavaliers need to fight off challengers and discern the best way to win another title. How did their offseason help them, and how did it hurt them?

A populous ideal holds up championship contention as the ultimate goal of NBA franchises. Standing on the court as winners of the NBA Finals, and the commissioner handing over the Larry O’Brien trophy, hoisting the championship banner is always the ultimate goal.

Thus the Cleveland Cavaliers, playing in three straight Finals and winning the 2016 crown, would be the idol of the other teams.

But what this idealized perspective doesn’t take into account is the incredible burden it is to maintain contention for season after season. The best players are expensive, and managing their contracts leads to large tax bills. The draft system penalizes successful teams by placing their picks at the back of the line. With fewer resources, contenders have to leverage future assets to add present talent.

The Cleveland Cavaliers bear the burden of all of these factors, with a team laden with veterans paying higher and higher payrolls every season. To this point, owner Dan Gilbert has followed through on his promise to LeBron James to spend whatever it takes, but that promise has cost an incredible number.

In an offseason where the Cavaliers came in with no draft picks and no cap space, they were still expected to upgrade the team to better compete with the Golden State Warriors. Every move, big or small, is analyzed through that question: are they more or less equipped now to defeat the juggernauts in Oakland?

The resources were sparse, but the offseason still ended up being a busy one. From parting ways with David Griffin to trading Kyrie Irving, the Cavaliers annually provide no shortage of drama. They have also seen incredible success in winning 190 games over the past three seasons.

Will this summer help them to sustain their success? Or will Boston, Washington and the other challengers in the East threaten to dethrone the King? Here’s a look at how their offseason be graded.

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