The first year of having LeBron James back in a Cleveland Cavaliers uniform saw a lot of changes, a lot of progress, some big success, some crushing failure, and the typical turmoil that seems to come with territory of a LeBron-led team. The Cavs overhauled their roster in the offseason, added key components during a seemingly disastrous beginning to the season, and then found their way into the NBA Finals. Unfortunately for them, they simply didn't have enough health or firepower to defeat the Golden State Warriors.
As they head into the summer, they have a lot of questions to answer. Kevin Love, LeBron James and J.R. Smith will be unrestricted free agents. Tristan Thompson will be a restricted free agent looking to cash in on an amazing playoff run. David Blatt's name can't stay away from the hot seat, despite coaching a team to the Finals in his first season in the NBA. With so many questions about this Cavs team, we took them to a roundtable of our writers looking for answers.
1. Will Kevin Love return to the Cavs and is it a good decision for both sides?
Ken Berger: On one hand, there is the perfect opportunity for the two sides to go their separate ways. The Cavs made it to a sixth game of the NBA Finals without Love, and he will have plenty of opportunities to go elsewhere with a max deal and a leading role. Throw in the fact that Love stands to lose little financially by leaving if he signs a short deal and becomes a free agent again in 2016 or '17, and the stars certainly seemed aligned for an amicable divorce. However, two factors point strongly toward it being in both sides' interests for Love to stay, at least on a short-term deal: 1) Given how competitive the Cavs were in the Finals without Love and Kyrie Irving, isn't it reasonable to assume that they would've at least forced a seventh game, or even won the series, if he'd been healthy? And 2) The Cavs gave up Andrew Wiggins for him, so it would be tough to justify letting him walk for nothing. Prediction: Love opts out and re-signs with the Cavs with the same length as LeBron James' new deal.
Zach Harper: First and foremost, the fact that the Cavs didn't win the championship without Kevin Love in the lineup means they have to bring him back. Had they won the title and persevered through all those injuries (especially to Love), they'd have years built-in excuses to fall back on if they let him walk and he went on to be successful somewhere else. Once a title is delivered to the Cavs, no matter what the circumstances or fallout are, this organization gets a reprieve for everything it goes through afterward. However, they didn't win the title.
That's only damning if the Cavs lose Love to free agency just one year after giving up the Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins for him. That's a PR nightmare, even with LeBron back. Love would also be foolish to leave LeBron the next two years because his offensive load may never be easier. He's essentially a floor-spacer for James and could be a much bigger part of the offense moving forward. That's a scary thought. When Love was on the court with James and Kyrie Irving, this team was historically absurd on offense. It would behoove Love to stick around for at least another season, receive passes from LeBron, and then start listening to see if Russell Westbrook might leave for the Lakers in 2017. Then he can figure out an exit strategy, but not now.
Ananth Pandian: Kevin Love has repeatedly said that he wants to return to the Cavs but with the chance to make more money, so there should be no doubt that he will opt out of his contract. Even Cavaliers GM David Griffin is expecting Love to opt out. However, Griffin also believes that Love will re-sign with Cleveland, especially since the Cavs have his Bird Rights, which means they can pay him a little bit more than any other team. This is a big reason why Love will in all likelihood return to Cleveland -- he can make more money and be part of very successful team.
Of course, Love did have an up-and-down season in Cleveland. He is probably not best friends with LeBron James and his first year with the Cavs ended with an injury. Still, the Cavs ended the regular season 33-5 with Love, James and Kyrie Irving in the lineup. They also handled the Boston Celtics quite easily in the first three games of the first round before Love's Game 4 injury. While the Cavs were able to dominate the rest of the Eastern Conference playoffs without Love, once they got to the Finals, he was clearly missed.
Love may be able to find a larger role on another team, but why would he forfeit the chance to play alongside the "best player in the world" on a team that just made it to the NBA Finals?
2. Is David Blatt the right coach for Cleveland moving forward?
Berger: It's hard to argue with a coach who was able to get his team to the sixth game of the Finals without two All-Stars and a third starter, Anderson Varejao. But the dynamic between Blatt and James clearly is not ideal, and James is the one holding all the cards. He'll have to be careful, though, to avoid the perception that he made the call and ran Blatt out of town. Given all that is public record about their uneasy relationship, that will be extremely difficult to pull off. When a coaching change is pondered, I always ask, who's the replacement? You have Tom Thibodeau, Jeff Van Gundy and, of course, Mark Jackson, who is represented by Rich Paul's Klutch Sports agency. But unless Dan Gilbert were able to lure Mike Krzyzewski or John Calipari from Duke or Kentucky, respectively, it's hard to envision a succession plan that wouldn't be messy. Gut feeling: Blatt stays, but if LeBron isn't happy next season, he's replaced in short order by associate head coach Tyronn Lue.
Harper: In a way, I truly believe he Blatt is the right coach for Cleveland. I also think he mismanaged many parts of his first season coaching in the NBA. The offense was good but it wasn't tailored to the star weaponry he had at his disposal. He had two of the best pick-and-roll attackers in the league with maybe the best pick-and-pop power forward in basketball and yet didn't utilize that set nearly enough. The Cavs ranked 21st in possessions in which the pick-and-roll man was utilized. Considering they were ninth and fourth, respectively, in scoring out of that set, we should have seen them run those plays to death.
Where I think Blatt fits with this team, at least for the time being, is he seems comfortable dealing with the media, no matter how he comes off. His confidence is unshakeable and he has a good coaching staff surrounding him. He also has one of the best coaches on the court in LeBron, though that would be true of any Cavs coach at the moment. Even if rumors of that situation becoming untenable pop up from time to time, you know he can take the heat. But he needs to find ways to maximize his weapons while not giving up the defensive progress they made in the playoffs.
Pandian: In his first season coaching the Cleveland Cavaliers, his first time coaching in the NBA, David Blatt won 53 games in the regular season, only lost twice in the conference playoffs and then made it to the NBA Finals. He did all of this in spite of constant rumors about his job and the headstrong nature of LeBron James. Of course, James is the main reason the Cavs were so successful this season but Blatt should get some of the credit as well.
Blatt should get another season with the Cavs, mainly so he can show that he can learn from his mistakes and further develop his relationship with James. Remember, James clashed with Erick Spolestra when he played in Miami but after a couple of years together, they got on the same page and won two championships. There is no reason why the same thing can't happen between Blatt and James in Cleveland.
3. J.R. Smith could be a free agent and wants to return. Should the Cavs want him back?
Berger: With the Cavs operating above the so-called "apron," or $4 million above the tax line, the reality is that Smith might be a better option than anyone they could replace him with using the exceptions they'll have available. They won't have access to the bi-annual exception, and the $3.4 million taxpayer mid-level won't get them a player who can do what Smith can do. Of course, J.R. giveth and J.R. taketh away, and the tax implications of re-signing him might make finding a cheaper option more appealing. When the free agency action slows, there will be no shortage of veterans willing to play for the minimum for a chance to chase a title with LeBron. And many of them might be more reliable than J.R., not to mention cheaper.
Harper: If you never saw J.R. Smith play in the NBA Finals for the Cavs, you'd have walked away from this season glowing about how big of an acquisition he was for this team. WhileTimofey Mozgov mid-season pickup, Smith fit perfectly in terms of stretching the floor and providing those scoring binges we love to tune in for.
Unfortunately for Smith, he was absymal in the Finals. Bottom line: If you don't have to go much higher than what his current salary (player option for $6.3 million for next season) is, the Cavs would probably be advised to bring him back.
Pandian: There may be no player more streaky in the NBA than J.R. Smith. His performance in the NBA Finals was woeful as the Cavs just could not count on Smith when they truly needed him. He did play quite well throughout the playoffs, however, even setting a Cavs franchise record with eight 3-pointers against the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. But this is exactly what we've come to expect from Smith throughout his career. You have to take the good with the bad.
For the Cavs, this is what they have to consider in choosing whether to re-sign Smith. He may be streaky but Smith can help your team win a quarter or even a game all by himself. Question is: will they need that kind of firepower with a healthy Kyrie Irving and, presumably, Kevin Love back in the fold? Probably not, though scoring punch off the bench is a luxury no team can deny. In the end, role off the bench in Cleveland is the best fit for bothSmith and the Cavs, who should bring him back if his contract expectations aren't too high.
4. Do you give Tristan Thompson a max deal with Love and Mozgov on the team?
Berger: Therein lies the dilemma for Gilbert, who would have four max players on the team -- two of whom play the same position. Would there be enough minutes for Love, Thompson and Mozgov to justify it? That will be for the Blatt (or the new coach) to figure out. Could Love be packaged in a sign-and-trade with the non-guaranteed contract ofBrendan Haywood in a deal with a team that has cap room? Stranger things have happened. How the Cavs use Haywood's contract this summer will be one of the most interesting storylines, and could help them solve some of these problems.
Harper: There is no getting around paying Tristan Thompson what he's looking for in free agency. He and LeBron share the same agent, and all year long they've been playing up his importance, which was undeniable in the playoffs. Thompson's rebounding, particularly on the offensive end, is a major plus, and his defense was the key to slowing down Steph Curry as much as they could in the Finals. He outplayed the entire Atlanta Hawks' frontcourt in the Eastern Conference finals.
You can afford to pay Thompson this kind of money for two years while Mozgov is at a bargain of a rate (team option for under $5 million next season) and Love is playing the salary cap explosion waiting game. But you have to keep an eye on either moving Love via trade or letting him go by 2017 in order to not take on truly roster crippling luxury tax penalities, unless there is a huge change to the CBA in 2017.
Pandian: Tristan Thompson blossomed in the playoffs after Love went down with an injury. Grabbing offensive rebound after offensive rebound, Thompson made a name for himself on the big stage, often appearing in postgame press conferences as one of the marquee players on the Cavs. He will surely earn a big payday this summer.
If Love returns to the team, Thompson will more than likely be the team's sixth man again but he played great in this role during the regular season. Love is a better scorer than Thompson and gives James another scoring option on the floor, while Thompson is the better defender and will be inserted in place of Love when the Cavs would need his length and activity. With Timofey Mozgov holding down the center spot, a two-man tandem of Love and Thompson will provide the Cavs with depth, scoring and rebounding at the power forward position.
Mozgov, Love and Thompson is a fearsome threesome in the East and the Cavs should do whatever they can to keep that unit together.
5. The Cavs are the favorites to win the NBA title right now. Should they be?
Berger: It's a pretty safe bet that if Love and Irving had been healthy, the Cavs would have at least push the NBA Finals to a Game 7, and they might well have won the whole thing. But is that enough to establish the Cavs as favorites to win next year? There are too many unanswered questions. Will an active free-agent summer shift some of the balance of power from West to East, making the Cavs' road to the Finals more difficult? Will the Spurs bring back Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, re-sign Kawhi Leonard and land a top-flight free agent? Will Kevin Durant return to form, making the Thunder as dangerous as any team in the West, including the Warriors? A lot could happen between now and mid-July to change Vegas' mind.
Harper: I don't think you can determine a favorite for the NBA Finals next year because we haven't even hit the draft yet, let alone sunk our teeth into free agency. However, if they bring back this core and it stays healthy, you'd have to say the Cavs have as good a chance as anybody. The Warriors are likely to bring back their crew and will be looking to repeat with even more experience under their belts.
I'll give the nod to the Warriors, but this Cavs team could be scary at full strength.
Pandian: Of course they should be the favorite. They have LeBron James.
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