How Did The Cleveland Cavaliers Get Here?

Let’s take a trip down Euclid Avenue and remember the events that lead to this historic season.

The Writing Was On The Wall

On July 1st, 2018, LeBron James announced he would leave the Cavs to join the Los Angeles Lakers.

At the time, LeBron’s potential exit from Cleveland was not shocking. He had delivered upon his promise to bring a championship to the city where he started his NBA journey. The roster had undergone significant reconstruction, and the looming Golden State matchup didn’t produce the same excitement.

The organization reshaped the roster, including trading Kyrie Irving for Isaiah Thomas and the pick that became Collin Sexton. The Kyrie trade could have produced a different outcome if the Cavs owner, Dan Gilbert, had been confident about LeBron’s long-term commitment to Cleveland. Instead, the organization prioritized the first-round pick, signaling preparation for a future rebuild.

Months later, the Golden State Warriors swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

Thus, the Cavaliers’ four-year window ended with four finals appearances and one championship.

Rebuild Initiation

On July 21st, 2018, Koby Altman was promoted from assistant general manager to general manager after Chauncey Billups declined the opportunity.

It was time to begin a new challenge: rebuilding a title contender from the ground up. This time, LeBron James would not speed up the process.

Heading into the season, Koby completes one of his first significant decisions: signing Kevin Love to a four-year, $120 million contract extension.

In the first game of the 2018-2019 season, the Cavs started George Hill, Rodney Hood, Cedi Osman, Kevin Love, and Tristan Thompson. While plenty of established veterans occupied the roster, the team lacked top-end talent.

Larry Drew was appointed interim head coach after Tyronn Lue was fired following an 0-6 start. Altman explains that this new iteration of the Cavs requires a new equation. This brought Tyronn Lue’s record to 128-83 as the Cavs head coach.

The rest of the season was not too eventful. The team finished 19-63, second worst in the league. Altman made a couple of trades to acquire some picks. Collin Sexton finished fifth in the Rookie of the Year voting. The Cavs were at the bottom of nearly every statistical category.

Larry Drew and the Cavaliers mutually agreed to part ways at the end of the season. John Beilein was brought in to replace him. Koby Altman described him as a culture builder who promotes the development of young players.

Foundation Building

During the 2019 off-season, the Cavs found their first member of what would become their foundational core.

On June 20th, 2019, the Cavs drafted Darius Garland fifth overall. In his lone season at Vanderbilt, Garland played just five games before tearing his meniscus in his left knee. However, he showed enough to be worthy of a high draft selection.

Cleveland also selected Dylan Windler with the 26th pick and sent the Pistons $5 million and four second-round picks in exchange for Kevin Porter Jr., who was selected with the 30th pick.

Dean Wade went un-drafted but was signed to a two-way contract. Current head coach Kenny Atkinson has praised Wade as one of the great finds of the last ten years.

Heading into the 2019-2020 season, the Cavs knew they wouldn’t be a top team but hoped to see Sexton grow. Since he was coming off surgery, Garland’s expectations weren’t too high in year one despite being a top-five selection. This campaign would be more about development and building chemistry.

The Cavaliers went on to win 19 games, the longest winning streak being three. It was another frustrating season in which it was difficult to establish an identity.

On December 23rd, 2019, the organization traded Jordan Clarkson to the Utah Jazz for Dante Exum and a couple of seconds. This transaction would prove crucial later.

The Beilein hiring ended up being more of a distraction than culture-building. Even Kevin Love, who was supposed to be the squad’s calming force, showed frustration. While the team finished last in most statistical categories for a second straight season, they improved their rebounding numbers, especially offensively, which at least demonstrated some level of hustle.

On February 19th, 2020, Beilein resigned, J.B. Bickerstaff took over, and the Cavs finished the season under J.B. 5-6.

Bickerstaff Era Begins

In his first draft as head coach, J.B. and the Cavs selected Isaac Okoro with the fifth pick in the 2020 draft. This is where we see the focus on the defensive side of the ball start.

Koby Altman made six trades during the 2020-2021 season. Five of these were to obtain second-rounders, adding to the collection of assets. Then, on January 16th, 2021, Cleveland traded Dante Exum and a first-round pick for Jarrett Allen.

This type of move is not the most common. A rebuilding team trades a first-round pick for a player on an expiring contract, giving J.B. and the Cavs the rim protector they desperately needed. His impact was noticed immediately, as the Cavs were 21st in blocks in January. They jumped to third in February.

Kevin Porter Jr. was traded because of a couple of off-court issues. Despite the Cavs paying a hefty price on draft night, Porter Jr. only played 50 games in Cleveland before being shipped to Houston. Altman explained that the team wanted to build a culture, and the move was in everybody’s best interest.

As the Cavs entered the 2021 off-season, the team knew it was time to show the fans something to be proud of. The acquisitions of Jarrett Allen and Isaac Okoro signaled the focus on building a defensive identity.

But how?

In the 2021 draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Evan Mobley with the third pick. This was pretty shocking, considering there was still a lot of talk about small-ball, and the three became more popular among teams.

Altman and J.B. envisioned creating a two-headed monster in the front court, but would they co-exist with on offense?

Playoff Expectations

It’s now 2021-22. Cleveland is entering their fourth year since LeBron left. They have not won more than 22 games since. This time, though, there was realistic hope. Shortly before the 2021-2022 season, Altman swings a big trade for Lauri Markkanen. Wait, three seven-footers? The plan was to start all three next to Darius Garland and Collin Sexton.

Right before the season starts, on the HoopsHype podcast, Garland says the team has clear expectations of making the playoffs. This was not just blind confidence to build hype but a precise message to fans that they were ready to establish themselves.

Early on, the Cavs struggled to sustain their offense, often scoring below 100 points. However, their defense improved, as shown by their defensive rating ranking in the top 10 for most of the season.

After appearing in only 11 games, Collin Sexton goes down with a left knee meniscus tear. Okoro would go on to replace him in the starting line-up.

In his third year, Darius Garland finally made critical developments as a playmaker and scorer. He and Jarrett Allen both make their first All-Star teams.

On February 7th, 2022, Altman swings a trade for Caris LeVert, bolstering the depth with a wing that can do a little bit of everything.

Cleveland finishes the season 44-38, securing them a spot in the play-in tournament. In the first matchup, Cleveland faced the KD and Kyrie-led Nets. Brooklyn secures their playoff spot, beating the Cavs by seven points. The Cavs would lose by six to the Hawks, ending their playoff dreams.

The Time Is Now

Going into the 2022 off-season, Altman knew they had the chemistry, but how could they leap into contention?

When the team drafted Ochai Agbaji with the 14th pick, fans thought we obtained another 3-and-D wing who would boost our bench. However, Altman did not want to be passive and solely bank on internal development. He saw the opportunity to complete a significant swing trade and took it.

September 3rd, 2022, Koby Altman traded Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, and Ochai Agbaji, plus three unprotected first-rounders and two first-round pick swaps.

https://twitter.com/ESPNNBA/status/1547301758212251649

The Cavs’ preseason odds were +3,000, which wasn’t among the elites but in the dark horse range. Now that the team had a bonafide superstar, two All-Stars, and a young player in Mobley who expected to begin his leap, it was time to compete.

Cleveland starts 8-1, and it looks like they’re ready to arrive. Then they hit a five-game losing streak, and as injuries and insufficient play piled up, it seemed like the season could’ve gotten away from them.

The team’s record was 8-6, but that was the closest they came to an even record. They have since rattled off a few winning streaks, proving they have arrived.

Altman secures Sam Merrill during this season, a player who would become an important depth piece in future years.

After finishing the season 51-31 and earning the fourth seed in the playoffs, it was time to pass the test.

The New York Knicks would dispatch the Cavs in five games.

Tweets like this flooded timelines, and the talking points started claiming the Cavs were soft.

The Knicks series became a learnable moment. The Cavs knew what they would need to work on. Cleveland knew they would need to respond, and eventually, they did.

Run it Back

Fast forward to the summer, and the Cavs knew they were good, but they just needed a few more veterans to help them get over the hump. The organization now trades for Max Strus and signs Georges Niang and Ty Jerome.

With a few more veterans and the experience of the Knicks series, Cleveland thought they had what it takes to win a round in the playoffs.

The 2023-2024 didn’t start how the team hoped it would. However, a seven-game streak would get them right back to where they believed they belonged, at the top of the Eastern Conference. Another nine-game win streak would give them the confidence they needed heading into the later parts of the season.

When the season concluded, the Cavs were 48-34, which locked them into the fourth seed again. This time, they would be matched up against the up-and-coming Orlando Magic, a team known for its physicality and defense.

This test would be essential for the Cavs as they looked to forget about last year’s performance.

The series was ugly and physical and went seven games. The Cavaliers were down 53-43 at the half. Then the third quarter happened.

Orlando shot 4/24 while Mitchell and Strus lit them up, combining for 11/14.

Cleveland wins in seven, winning their first playoff series since LeBron left. Now they get the matchup versus an old rival of King James, the Boston Celtics.

Boston would win in five, then go on to win the NBA title against the Dallas Mavericks.

Eight days after losing to Boston, the Cavaliers would fire J.B. Bickerstaff and eventually hire Kenny Atkinson. After five seasons with Cleveland, J.B. would end his tenure with a 170-159 record.

Closing Thoughts

It was an eventful rebuilding that taught many team and culture-building lessons. Cleveland is an example of finding a vision and committing to it while still being able to adapt when necessary.

J.B. may not have been the most effective offensive coach, but he consistently had the Cavs playing at a high level. This team embodies a culture of enjoying the hard work on and off the court. Bickerstaff was at the helm of that building process, something he is looking to do for the current-day Detroit Pistons.

Koby Altman never sat on his hands. Every season, he would find ways to obtain assets, even a single second-rounder. Then, when it was time to get more talent, Altman delivered. His aggressiveness has paid off, and now the fans of Cleveland get to consume a wonderful product with real championship aspirations.