The Cleveland Cavaliers have had arguably one of the worst offseasons among the 30 NBA franchises. Following their all-too-early departure from the Eastern Conference Finals, it feels like the rest of the teams in the Eastern Conference simply got better around them. Something the Cavs needed to do after getting outplayed by the New York Knicks. Instead, teams like the Miami Heat landed star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks, who themselves also seemed to have improved their overall roster. All while the Cavs twiddled their thumbs.
Other clubs like the Philadelphia 76ers got massively better with the addition of Jaylen Brown, a star player who instantly makes the 76ers a true threat in the East. Both Antetokounmpo and Brown would've made great additions for the Cavs, but instead, they stood pat, hoping to land LeBron James in free agency instead.
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This desire to avoid the big-swing trade has The Athletic giving the Cavs one of the worst grades this offseason. As it stands, barring James landing with the Cavs, The Athletic has given the Cavaliers a D+ grade.
It's a beyond fair grade. They lost Dean Wade and Keon Ellis, extended Donovan Mitchell to a sizeable contract, and drafted Meleek Thomas. This is a club that needed a big swing to stay competitive in the East, and it feels like they just didn't even try to do that. If James doesn't sign with the Cavs, it may be the most disappointing offseason the franchise has had in recent memory.
The grade is subject to change, however. If the Cavs land James, the grade would jump from a D+ to an A-. James would give the Cavs a strong wing player who can play solid defense, create with the ball in his hands, and still be an aggressive scorer. So it makes sense the grade would change that much just from one signing.
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