The dust has started to settle after LeBron James' decision to forego a second reunion with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Signing with the Philadelphia 76ers, James joins his fourth NBA franchise for the final two seasons of a historic career. At 41 years old, LeBron's unique stardom held a vice grip on the NBA free agency landscape when he announced his intention to leave the Los Angeles Lakers. Every team was vying for the opportunity to be his final destination, and the Cavaliers were no exception.
Cleveland was quickly a member of the final few options. The Cavs had just reached the Eastern Conference Finals and are led by All-NBA guard Donovan Mitchell. The potential success of a third stint in his home state looked too perfect, but the Sixers offered everything James needed in a supporting cast.
Jaylen Brown is an ideal wing to place with LeBron, serving as the primary perimeter defender and a talented scorer. Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey bring enough star power to allow James to slow down his usage.
In hindsight, James' choice to join Philly makes perfect basketball sense. He is joining a Play-In team that made plenty of winning moves this offseason. He can elevate a fringe contender to the conference's best. The pain for Cleveland is not the decision itself. It is the fact that the Cavaliers had the opportunity to make every right decision to land James but failed.
Former Cavaliers executive stole Cleveland's dream offseason
Former Cavaliers general manager Mike Gansey joined the Sixers this offseason as their president of basketball operations. He immediately got to work to make strategic moves and push the Sixers into title contention. The first move was bringing another Cavalier to the city of brotherly love, signing Dean Wade to a four-year, $38.7 million contract.
With Wade in Philadelphia, the team had the best defensive talent Cleveland in years had seen other than Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. Wade's size, strength and versatilty made him a perfect addition to a team already full of offensive firepower, but Gansey wasn't done there.
The Cavaliers were the first team mentioned after the Boston Celtics failed to swap Brown for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Boston eyed a Brown-for-Mobley swap, but the Cavs rejected the notion of moving on from the former Defensive Player of the Year. In a vacuum, the decision is reasonable. Cleveland has a 25-year-old defensive phenom and has little reason to part ways by giving him to their biggest conference rival.
Unfortunately, that rejection of Brown opened the door for the Sixers to grab Brown for Paul George and pieces. The shocking blockbuster trade set the Sixers in position to be the best landing spot for LeBron, and he clearly recognized that.
The Cavaliers still refuse to learn their lesson
The Cavaliers are now left an embarrassed fool for their inactivity. Letting Wade walk and ignoring Brown not only made the Cavs' offseason stagnant, but it also paved the way for James' heartbreaking decision.
Cleveland has repeatedly been slow to action in making dramatic roster change. While the Darius Garland trade for James Harden seemingly signaled a metanoia from Cleveland's front office, they have once again stood idle while the rest of the NBA chases glory.
Improving the team doesn't have to mean shipping Mobley for aging stars or a plethora of underwhelming role players. Cleveland doesn't have to trade Mobley at all to get better, but it does mean addressing recurring issues.
Only after James chose Philadelphia did the Cavs actually sign a sizeable wing in Mario Hezonja. It marked the first time the Cavs added a wing player above 6-foot-5 in free agency this decade.
The Cavaliers still have done nothing to find a real backup center. Thomas Bryant is a good selection, but he is not a pivotal member of a championship rotation. Cleveland, though, is comfortable sitting still. The Cavs' president of basketball operations Koby Altman was utterly outplayed by his former subordinate.
There is a real argument to be made that after reaching the conference finals that the Cavaliers should hesitate to make major moves, but this summer has only subtracted from Cleveland. Both Keon Ellis and Wade departed, and the Cavaliers have not addressed it. They have a surplus of 2/3 players but have a shallow frontcourt depth chart. Cleveland needs to consolidate talent, but that has been repeatedly neglected for years.
Everything that could have made the Cleveland Cavaliers better this offseason was done by Philly, led by a man who just months ago was second-in-command for the Cavs. His polar opposite approach to roster construction and aggressive decision making should be an indictment on the inaction that is serving no purpose.
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