The Cavs haplessly finished their third straight season with one of the NBA’s worst records–and the bad luck continued even after the players cleaned out their lockers and headed home for the summer.
The Cavs lost a coin flip to the Thunder, slotting them with the fifth worst record when it comes to lottery odds. They’ve still got a shot to win the first pick, but now, they could pick as low as ninth if the ball doesn’t bounce their way.
Considering the luck this franchise has had in the lottery ever since the team acquired “The Brooklyn Pick,” get ready to pick ninth.
The Cavs had fans thinking playoffs early in the 2020-2021 campaign, but by the All-Star break, it became clear this version of the Wine and Gold was destined to be terrible. The Andre Drummond trade became a debacle and Kevin Love was hurt, again and again. Kevin Porter was traded for nothing.
With a young team and no alpha player, the Cavs just kept losing and losing.
Unfortunately, I don’t see the turnaround coming next season, either. They’re going to draft another young player–and even if it is Cade Cunningham, I don’t anticipate a 20-game swing in the win column. Remember, LeBron James couldn’t get the Cavs into the postseason until his third year.
At the very least, though, there was improvement with James on the roster, and a fan base that’s endured nothing but losing the past three years, will settle for any kind of improvement.
With free agency offering no promise and a trade market that probably won’t see the Cavs as major players, more losing should be on the docket in 2021-2022.
And when we think of the offseason and all the things the Cavs can do, here’s three things that can’t get done.
1. Cavs can’t trade Kevin Love
The Cavs can’t trade Kevin Love. Not because Cleveland is going to start winning, but because they literally can’t trade him.
If you were a GM, would. you take Kevin Love and the two years remaining on his contract, which pays $31 million, and $28 million, respectively.
The Cavs could trade him, in theory, but it would mean taking on an equally bad contract.
There’s only way the Kevin Love saga ends, and that’s with the Cavs buying him out, eventually. As ESPN’s Brian Windhorst noted, now is probably not the time for these talks to take place, considering how the season ended.
And with GM Koby Altman not addressing their fans following the final game, there’s no way to gauge what the team is thinking.
It’s kind of crazy that it will end this way, as Kevin Love has had more trade rumors connected to his name more than any Cleveland professional athlete.
2. Cavs can’t give Sexton max deal
Collin Sexton is a really good player, but is he a winning player? Through three seasons, it doesn’t look it, which is why the team should be hesitant to give him a max contract extension.
Sexton just finished his third season. If this were the olden days, he’d have just finished college and would be entering this summer’s draft as a graduating senior. He’s a terrific scorer, but he doesn’t elevate the play of those around him.
Maybe he flips the switch heading into year four, but I just don’t see it. He’s never been a distributor, although he averaged a career high 4.4 assists per game.
The other factor to consider is Darius Garland. Small backcourts don’t translate into titles. Portland is example fans like to cite, with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum as guards. They compete, but they haven’t come close to winning anything.
Additionally, remember the Raptors, with DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowery. They finally won a title when they moved DeRozan to get Kawhi Leonard, an elite-level wing.
That trade isn’t out there waiting for the Cavs, but you get the point.
If the Cavs don’t extend Sexton, they’ve got to trade him because the front office will have sent the message that he isn’t a part of the future plans.
3. Cavs can’t keep Larry Nance
Larry Nance is the hometown favorite, whose roots stem back to the 1980s when his dad, Mark Price, Brad Daughtery and company lit up the cornfields of Richifield.
The Cavs can’t keep, him though. He might be their most valuable asset. As many as five teams offered major packages for Nance throughout the season. One team even offered two first-round picks, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, via TheLandonDemand (subscription).
The writer admitted not all first-rounders “are created equal,” but you get the idea of how other teams view their assets.
Nance will earn $10.6 million next season, and then $9.6 million in the final year of his deal. He’s a big man, capable of hitting a three. He rebounds and defends. By NBA standards, he’s a steal.
We all want land to a Cav for life, but unfortunately, the lottery hasn’t been kind to Cleveland in the second post-LeBron era. If the Cavs had some talent that could win, Nance would be the perfect complementary piece.
Since that player isn’t here right now, the Cavs have to keep accumulating picks, while waiting for the moment to pounce.