Complete 2017 NBA offseason grades for all 30 teams
Cleveland Cavaliers
Key additions: Isaiah Thomas (trade), Jae Crowder (trade), Derrick Rose (free agency), Ante Zizic (free agency), Jeff Green (free agency), Jose Calderon (free agency)
Key subtractions: Kyrie Irving (trade), Deron Williams (free agency), Derrick Williams (free agency), James Jones (retirement), Dahntay Jones (free agency)
With LeBron James‘ 2018 free agency looming over the franchise like a giant storm cloud, Kyrie Irving’s trade request and David Griffin’s departure as GM couldn’t have come at a worse time. Nobody could blame the King if he abdicates his throne next summer.
It’s not that the Cleveland Cavaliers are no longer contenders; new GM Koby Altman did a phenomenal job salvaging the Kyrie situation, netting Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and Boston’s 2018 first-rounder via Brooklyn that could be extremely valuable. He got as good a return as could be expected, straddling the line between assets for this year and a possible rebuild.
However, IT enters the season injured and the Cavs needed a season that definitively moved them within striking distance of the unassailable Golden State Warriors if they wanted to keep LeBron. Derrick Rose, Kyle Korver, Jeff Green and Jose Calderon don’t cut it.
Bourguet Grade: C+