Remember all that rumbling about the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Big Three being a bad fit? How Kyrie Irving and LeBron James were struggling to coexist? How Kevin Love was redundant on a team that featured James and Tristan Thompson, not to mention trade-deadline acquisition Channing Frye? How Cleveland’s stars just didn’t mesh well enough both physically and mentally to make good on sky-high expectations?
None of that matters anymore, of course, not after the Cavaliers won the last three games of the NBA Finals to bring the city of Cleveland its first championship in 52 years. Each member of the wine and gold’s Big Three came up huge in the waning moments of that instant-classic Game 7 victory over the Golden State Warriors, and each of them are under contract for multiple seasons going forward – or will be, at least, once James does the inevitable and signs another two-year deal with a player option for the second season come July 1.
After winning their first title in franchise history, it’s never been more obvious that the Cavaliers should stay the course with this core of players – and that’s exactly what GM David Griffin plans to do.
"We intend to keep this group together and see what we're capable of" — Cavs GM David Griffin just now to the #NBAInsiders on @ESPNRadio
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 26, 2016
Cleveland has less financial flexibility than any team in the league. Cap holds for James and J.R. Smith put the Cavaliers comfortably above the expected $94 million salary cap, leaving them with only the mini mid-level exception to spend on available free agents.
Any major roster reshuffling, then, would have to come in the form of a trade, and Love remains Cleveland’s most realistic bargaining chip. Will the former All-Star be dealt? No way. Breaking up a championship team is unprecedented in the modern era, and Love and Tristan Thompson showed they can be a formidable frontcourt tandem with a title on the line against the Warriors. After two full seasons of daily reports and rumors suggesting his imminent departure, it’s clear Love has found a home in Northeast Ohio.
Once James and Smith re-up, the Cavaliers’ offseason will be quiet. Griffin must monitor Matthew Dellavedova’s restricted free agency, and will likely need to find a cheap replacement for Timofey Mozgov, too. But other than that? Summer in Cleveland will essentially be a continuation of the city’s first championship parade since the 1960s.
What a change a title makes.
