What have the Cleveland Cavaliers done this offseason to bolster their roster to compete with the Golden State Warriors? Practically nothing. Cleveland’s offseason merely consists of the signings of Jeff Green, Jose Calderon, and Cedi Osman and the re-signing of Kyle Korver.
Those moves aren’t significant enough to match the talent level of the Warriors. What the Cavaliers had hoped for coming into the offseason was to land big-time stars Paul George, Jimmy Butler, or Carmelo Anthony. While George and Butler have already been traded, the dream of landing Anthony has been fading since the Cavs have nothing to offer.
Cavs lack of moves has led to frustration
First of all, the firing of general manager David Griffin really stung the organization. LeBron James was extremely upset that the team let him go, especially since he was working on a major deal to land a star player for Cleveland. After firing Griffin, the Cavaliers have only made minor moves, which have led to more irritation for James.
According to USA TODAY Sports, James is very upset with the organization and doesn’t believe the team is headed into the right direction. James expected the front office to be incredibly aggressive this offseason after losing the Finals, but the turnout has been disappointing.
James is expected to opt out of his contract next summer to become an unrestricted free agent.
It has been reported that he is likely to leave Cleveland to join the Los Angeles Lakers. Although it may seem uncanny for James to leave his hometown once again, the lack of direction could drive him out. After all, James has his businesses in Los Angeles and his family is more than willing to move to the West coast.
Kyrie Irving’s latest comments
It hasn’t just been James who has been worried about the Cavaliers. Fellow teammate Kyrie Irving has also voiced his concerns, saying that the team is “in a very peculiar place.” Sadly, that may be true.
Both James and Irving know that LeBron is slowly coming out of his prime, and he understandably needs more help.
It’s understandable that the team has very little financial flexibility, but Cleveland’s efforts to get better have been minimal.
Meanwhile, the Warriors have reshaped their bench unit while keeping their core pieces together to compete at a very high level again. That may ultimately be the factor that has frustrated James, as that the rival team continues to thrive for success.
Obviously, the offseason is still ongoing, and things could change between now and the start of the regular season. However, the Cavaliers must do everything in their power to keep James happy because he is very close to the edge.
