They were disappointed with the end result, but the Cavs gave the defending champions everything they could handle.
Cleveland also gave the home crowd something to cheer for, rallying back from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit to pull within one with less than 90 seconds remaining. This team plays hard. They fight until the final buzzer and most of the players on the roster are trying to do the right things despite losing nine of their last 10 games.
Unfortunately, nothing has changed. The Cavaliers are still in the middle of a rebuild.
Collin Sexton has played well recently, averaging 22.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per contest in his last 20 games.
Youngsters like Darius Garland and Kevin Porter Jr. continue to show their potential. The flashes haven’t been enough to give anyone reason to believe this rebuild is close to being complete.
The Cavs’ young core has potential, but this organization needs to continue to add draft picks and young players with hopes of a brighter future.
General manager Koby Altman has to do the right thing between now and the 3 p.m. trade deadline on Thursday, Feb. 6.
Altman can’t sit on his hands or reminisce about the old days when he looks at this roster. It’s time to trade Tristan Thompson and Kevin Love. If they can somehow get a future asset for John Henson, Brandon Knight or Matthew Dellavedova — then they should move those guys too.
This organization needs as many future assets as possible. That means Altman needs to put a ‘For Sale’ sign in the Cavaliers’ front lawn.
This should be a 2018-esque deadline for the Cavaliers’ organization. Keeping Thompson in hopes of re-signing him this offseason would be foolish. He’s playing some of the best basketball of his career. Move him for a young player that can help in the future or for a draft pick that can do the same.
Garland and Porter should be the only ‘untouchables’ for Altman. Both players have flashed potential and could be building blocks for the future.
Even Sexton has his limitations. He’s a hard worker, has elite quickness and is a good teammate, but Altman shouldn’t hesitate to trade him if the right deal comes along.
Love, 31, has $90 million and three years remaining on his contract after this season. Why roll the dice on him during a rebuild? He's dealt with plenty of injuries in his career and is no longer in his prime.
It would be surprising to see the Cavaliers get more than a late first-round pick, one young player with some promise and salary filler to make sure the deal works financially.
If the Miami Heat or another fringe contender offers a package that involves a first-rounder and multiple veterans that can be bought out or are on expiring deals, then Altman should accept it.
Keeping Thompson with hopes that he’ll re-sign is a risk the Cavs shouldn’t be willing to take. If he wants to test free agency for the first time in his career and isn’t willing to sign an extension now, then he shouldn’t be on the Cavaliers’ post-deadline roster.
A team like Dallas, Toronto or even Boston could use Thompson. There will be plenty of teams that will inquire about a deal involving the Cavs’ big man between now and the deadline.
Head coach John Beilein knows the locker room could look much different a week from now, but isn’t focused on potential trades.
“Not until somebody tells me something or they let me in on something am I going to even think about it because there’s just too many variables,” Beilein said on Thursday. “If a trade does happen, then it’s a challenge to redo some things. We just can’t think about it. We just got to let the front office take care of that — they’ll do a great job. If there’s something there, that’s fine, if there’s not, we’ll move forward.”
The 13-36 Cavaliers have to continue to add young players and future assets. They aren’t going to get a lot in return for Love, but that doesn’t mean he should remain in Cleveland.
With the right maneuvering, Altman should be able to land multiple first-round picks or young players by trading both Love and Thompson. He should also be able to move some of the other veterans for future assets.
This is a critical week for Altman, who needs to continue to stockpile picks and young players in hopes of building a solid foundation.
The Cavaliers received guard Dante Exum, who will make $9.6 million next season. The Cavs also received San Antonio’s second-round pick in 2022 and Golden State’s second-rounder in 2023. Utah previously acquired both selections in other trades.
Moving Clarkson for two second-round picks is one thing, but having to take on a bad contract like Exum’s is another.
Hopefully that deal doesn’t get in the way of any future trades that could net a bigger return. The Cavaliers can absorb bad contacts to get more in some of their potential trades.
Altman’s strategy is sound, but that trade looks worse and worse by the day.
Clarkson, like Thompson, was playing well on an expiring deal, which would appeal to contending teams.
Some wonder if the Cavaliers will be aggressive at the trade deadline? Others wonder if anyone in the NBA is willing to trade for Love and his bloated contract.
The Cavs have be creative in their approach over the next six days in order to maximize the return for their veteran players.
The roster should look much different on Feb. 7. All eyes should be on Altman and the rest of the Cavaliers' front office. They have to get this right if they're ever going to move the rebuild and this organization forward.