Should the Cleveland Cavaliers blow up the team if LeBron James leaves?

Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James is an unrestricted free agent this summer and everybody is talking about what his options are. But what should Cleveland do if the King selects a different kingdom?

It is no secret that the Decision 3.0 is underway, as tons of NBA fans are anxiously waiting to see where LeBron James is taking his talents next. Even though no sources have revealed that LeBron is leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers, both the fans and the front office should be prepared, as it is something that could very easily happen.

So what should the front office of the Cavaliers do if that happens? Blow up the team in order to acquire young players and draft picks, or keep the current players and be a playoff team in the coming years? To answer those questions, we start by looking at what the Cavs would be left with in the event LeBron James chose to leave Ohio.

First, you have Kevin Love. Love can still put up numbers and he’s proved that a number of times. What we are not certain of is whether he could be a leader on a winning team. During his spell with the Cavs, Love was never the leader; he was more of the second or third option behind LeBron James and, until recently, Kyrie Irving. He used to be the leader on the Minnesota Timberwolves team, but those teams failed to ever make the playoffs.

Love’s supporting cast would be a mix of George Hill, Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith and Kyle Korver, with a young core of Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Cedi Osman, Rodney Hood (a restricted free agent) and Collin Sexton. There is no doubt that we are talking about a solid mix of players who could crack their way into the rotation of any team in the league. None of them, however, could evolve into a star, or even a viable second option for the team.

As a result, the only way the Cavs contend next season would be if Love magically had the best season of his career, at 30 years old. Even though Kevin Love is a great player, the chances of that happening are slim to none.

If we’re being frank, this Cavaliers’ roster is built for a playoff spot and a first round exit at best. So should the front office sacrifice the current star and role players for the future success of the team? Usually, franchises that blow up their entire roster face 3-4 years of total humiliation, only to be followed by the chance of a return to sustained success.