Whenever Dan Gilbert is in the news, it just adds more attention for the team he owns anymore. In a story written by Dane McMenamin of ESPN, the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers said he thought the Indiana Pacers could have got more for Paul George. The former Pacer superstar was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder this offseason for Victor Oladipo and Domantis Sabonis. However, George was rumored to be minutes away from going to the Cavaliers.
Gilbert is not over it apparently. He believed that the trade that included the Cavaliers was better than the package the Pacers got from the Thunder.
Koby Altman, the new Cavaliers general manager, was endorsed by Gilbert despite his negative comments.
Not the right time for Gilbert to make these comments
Think about everything that has gone down in Cleveland. In what mind does Gilbert believe that these comments are going to help the franchise. Former general manager David Griffin left after his contract expired because Gilbert and he did not see eye to eye regarding his next contract. That led to LeBron James being upset. Then, Chauncey Billups turned down the job. The Cavaliers have made minimum upgrades to their team this offseason, missed out on George, and watched Gordon Hayward go to the Celtics. Finally, Kyrie Irving requested a trade because he doesn't want to play with James anymore.
What does Gilbert gain for making these comments? The Cavaliers were close to making a three team trade with the Denver Nuggets, in which Kevin Love would have gone to Denver, Gary Harris and prospects would go to Indiana, and George to the Cavaliers. In Gilbert's mind, these comments might be helping the Cavaliers, but they are just adding more drama to the team.
George to Cavaliers might have helped current situation
When you think about what could have happened, having George on the team might have helped with their current situation. Having a team of Irving, George, and James would have been a lethal team to compete with in the eastern conference. Irving still would not have been the man that the offense would have gone through if George came to the team, but who knows?
Gilbert has a lot on his plate going into this season. Nobody knows if Irving will be on the team, or not. Nobody knows if James is going to stay after this season. These comments of thinking about what could have happened will only stir up more angry opinions. Irving might not have gone public if George came to Cleveland, but nobody is going to know now.
