The Cleveland Cavaliers are expected to be active in the free agent market following their loss to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. So far, no major news has surfaced in Cleveland while LeBron James is silent in recruitment efforts to beef up the squad. James’ current conduct is unusual compared to the previous summers, where he actively urged Kevin Love to remain with the Cavaliers in 2015. He also worked for the signing of Mike Miller and James Jones at discounted prices.

According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, James was in Alabama over the weekend to attend the wedding of Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe together with John Wall of the Washington Wizards and DeMarcus Cousins of the New Orleans Pelicans.

James and Wall have the same agent in Rich Paul of Klutch Sports.

James disappointed with David Griffin’s departure

McMenamin said the reason behind James’ silence is unknown but his low-key stance may be connected to the departure of general manager David Griffin. The Cavaliers did not sign Griffin to a contract extension despite being a key player in the team’s resurgence and its title run two seasons ago.

Reports have it that James was surprised and disappointed by the Cavaliers front office’s decision to let Griffin go. He even tweeted “if no one appreciated you, Griff, I did, and hopefully all the people of Cleveland! Thanks for what u did for the team for 3 yrs! We got us 1”. James is also rumored to be leaving Cleveland in 2018 for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Cavaliers are currently without a general manager in place during this crucial time, with only assistant general manager Koby Altman running the show.

The Cavaliers are trying to get by as they negotiate with retired NBA player Chauncey Billups for a front office position.

Cavs failed to trade for George, Butler

The Cavaliers tried but failed to work out a trade for Paul George and Jimmy Butler, who was acquired by the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves, respectively.

So far, Cleveland’s only free-agent move was to sign veteran point guard Jose Calderon to a one-year minimum deal. Last season, Calderon played just 41 games with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Atlanta Hawks, averaging 3.4 points and 2.1 assists in 13.1 minutes per game.

The Cavaliers are also planning to trade Iman Shumpert to the Houston Rockets for a package of non-guaranteed contracts to give them financial flexibility in future dealings with other free-agent players. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Cavaliers could save $28 million this season with the trade, including Shumpert's contract and tax savings.
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