The Cleveland Cavaliers just broke an 11 game losing streak last night, and as they continue to sink in the Eastern Conference standings, they are rising in the draft lottery standings, which we believe is more important to them.
Right now, they sit in a tie for the 4th worst record in the NBA with Orlando, but only two teams, Oklahoma City and Detroit have won less games than the Cavs, with the Pistons trailing (leading?) the wine and gold by just one win.
Quite frankly, we don’t believe J.B. Bickerstaff’s team will win again this season, and again, we don’t think that’s a major concern for the organization.
So, what does this mean going forward for the organization?
The draft has been projected to have five prizes, so if the Cavs hold their spot in the selection process, they would get one of those five players. And right now, they would have a 52.6% chance to be in the top five, meaning it is almost as likely they will be in the top five as it is they aren’t.
So our question is what do the Cavs do if they don’t get a top five pick? There needs to be an alternative plan to getting lucky in the 2022 draft lottery. And that’s our problem with the current ownership/front office. They seem to be stuck in the maybe lightning can strike twice mentality and the next LeBron James winds up in Cleveland.
That’s what we would like to hear, what happens if they wind up with the 8th pick this summer?
The first order of business should be to lock up Jarrett Allen, who is a restricted free agent, to a long term deal. There aren’t many 23-year-old big men as talented as Allen, who has averaged 13.3 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, and is shooting 62% from the floor since coming to the Cavaliers.
Hopefully, because of the de-emphasis on the big man in today’s NBA, it won’t take a max deal to keep Allen, who despite of the takeover of the guards currently in pro basketball, should still be in demand as a rim protector and rebounder.
Big men who are athletic and can play should always be in demand.
What about Collin Sexton, who can be a restricted free agent after next season? The Cavs could offer him a contract extension this summer, but we would wait before committing huge dollars to him.
It’s not an indictment of him, but with Darius Garland’s rookie deal ending the following season (2022-23), it wouldn’t be a good idea for the franchise to have three large contracts on the books and a losing record. It would be another form of cap hell.
Think about it. With the proliferation of high scoring backcourt players, what kind of market is there for Sexton? What teams would be willing to open the vault for him?
It would also give time for the front office to evaluate the roster, seeing who can be contributors on a winning team. We have said it many times before, everyone who plays in the NBA has incredible talent, but the key thing is can they be contributors on a winning program?
They also need to resolve the Kevin Love situation, which has become untenable. First, he did what anyone would have done when you wave $30 million per year in someone’s face, but the Cavs need to deal him for another bad contract or just buy him out.
If they trade him, they may have to attach him to someone of value, but if the return is there, it might make sense.
The point is to not rush into things and leave yourself with a team with a poor record and no cap space. The organization has asked the fans to be patient. Now it’s time for the front office to exercise some of their own.
We don’t hold out hope for that.
Cleveland Sports Perspective 