After being swept by the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers will be heading in the 2018 offseason full of uncertainty. In the past months, multiple signs are pointing out that LeBron James will opt out of the final year of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent. His departure in Cleveland is expected to force the Cavaliers to undergo a full-scale rebuild.
However, Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com revealed that the Cavaliers have no interest in undergoing a rebuild similar to the Philadelphia 76ers. Whether LeBron James leaves or not, the Cavaliers won’t “blow up the team.”
“As of now, the Cavs’ plan is not to ‘blow up the team,’ regardless of what James decides to do. I’m talking about an extreme Philadelphia-style demolition job of aiming to lose lots of games and pile up draft picks,” Pluto wrote. “Even if James remains with the Cavs, they have to get somewhat younger. That was behind the series of deals General Manager Koby Altman made at the trade deadline.”
Still, the Cavaliers are hoping that they can convince James to opt into the final year of his contract or sign a long-term deal. According to Amico Hoops , Cavaliers have no idea what James plans to do in free agency, but they are consistently having communication with his representatives since the end of the season. Unfortunately, most of their conversations haven’t gone into detail about LeBron’s upcoming decision.
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So far, the Cavaliers are heavily involved in various trade rumors and have reportedly expressed interest in acquiring Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs and Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Hornets. As most people think, the only way to convince James to stay in Cleveland is for the Cavaliers to have a major upgrade on their roster that can strengthen their chance of reclaiming the title next season.
Regarding their most valuable trade asset, the No. 8 pick, the Cavaliers will reportedly keep their options open and will be entering the draft blindly when it comes to LeBron James. They could use the pick to add another young and promising talent on their roster or include it in a trade package to acquire a proven NBA veteran. In a separate report, Amico Hoops revealed that the Cavaliers have received calls from NBA teams looking to move up in the draft via trade wherein the Brooklyn Nets, who originally owned the No. 8 pick, emerge as the biggest suitor.
