CLEVELAND, Ohio — I can write that I don’t like the Cavs trading for James Harden and still appreciate what they have done as the trade deadline loomed.
There is no doubt the Koby Altman front office improved the team and its salary cap structure.
Let’s look at the players who have departed:
Darius Garland was traded to the Clippers for Harden.De’Andre Hunter was traded to Sacramento for Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis.Lonzo Ball and a pair of second-round picks were traded to Utah for … well … nothing other than help with the salary cap.
At the start of the week, Darius Garland and De’Andre Hunter were both with the Cavs. Both have since been traded. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)Fail quickly
That’s one of the phrases Cavs owner Dan Gilbert uses when discussing how to run a business.
The basic premise is this: Once you are convinced something is not working and not likely to improve, move on to something else.
The Koby Altman front office did that with their offseason moves.
Consider the players departing: Hunter, Ball and Garland. In their own way, all have been major disappointments.
Furthermore, things were not about to change for the better.
Hunter and Ball were a pair of veteran acquisitions who were supposed to help the Cavs in the playoffs. Both players looked lost this season.
I’m still stunned by Hunter having the worst season of his seven-year career, except as a rookie. He was supposed to help as a long-armed, athletic small forward who could make 3-pointers. The Cavs saw little of that this season. He also had two years left on his contract at $23 and $25 million, meaning he’s highly overpaid.
Perhaps Ball is still haunted by his major knee injuries. He was acquired from Chicago (Isaac Okoro trade) to help handle the ball in the backcourt, but often ran to the corner and stood there. He occasionally lofted rocks at the rim, shooting 30% from the field and 27% on 3-pointers.
Ball attempted 176 shots, and only 29 were from 2-point range. It’s like he was afraid to drive to the rim. Nor did he offer much help when the Cavs were facing defensive pressure. The point guard seems to have lost confidence.
As for Garland, Cavs fans know about his foot injuries (yes, plural as in both feet). Various stats show he’s one of the NBA’s worst defenders. He also had the team’s second worst plus/minus stats, meaning the Cavs were a bad team with Garland on the court.
Moving on from Garland, Ball and Hunter was wise.
James Harden is the newest member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.APThe Big Picture
When you put all the moves together, the Cavs traded Hunter, Garland and Ball for Harden, Schroder and Ellis.
In two recent columns, I made my feelings clear about why I didn’t want Harden on the team. I couldn’t get past him asking to be traded four times in six years from four different teams. I’m not going to dwell on this any more.
I loved the Hunter deal. Schroder and Ellis immediately brought more toughness and defense to the backcourt. Schroder also plays with an angry edge to his game. He is a relentless defender and a fearless driver to the rim.
The Cavs have been looking for someone to replace the offense provided by Ty Jerome coming off the bench in 2024-25. The coaching staff is convinced Schroder can do that.
FYI: Jerome signed with Memphis as a free agent. He suffered one of those dreaded calf injuries. He is finally healthy and has scored a total of 38 points in his first two games for Grizzlies.
Ellis is a 6-foot-4 wing/point guard defender. He has some 3-point range. Along with Schroder, Ellis should fit into the new aggressive defense the Cavs are building with young players Craig Porter Jr., Jaylon Tyson and Nae’Qwan Tomlin.
I would have traded Garland for both of those guys. I don’t know if Garland will ever stay healthy for a long period of time – or if he’ll regain the quickness he once had as a two-time All-Star.
After being traded to the Cavs. Lonzo Ball shot only 30% from the field. John Kuntz, cleveland.comMoney matters
I’m not going to venture deep into the swamp of the salary cap, the second aprons and the luxury tax. Just know the Cavs had the NBA’s highest payroll and they were the only team in the second apron.
The second apron limits how teams can make trades. For example, all the transactions during this season have involved the Cavs sending only one player to another team.
That’s because the second apron means you can only trade one player at a time. You can take multiple players in return. There also are restrictions on signing free agents.
Bottom line: After these moves, the Cavs went from being $22 million into the second apron to $3.8 million above the threshold. One more deal could help them cut those apron strings.
They’ve also cut their payroll/luxury cap bill from about $165 million to $65 million.
The front office deserves tremendous credit for making these savvy financial moves and upgrading the roster in the process.
Overall, Cavs president Koby Altman has done a good job upgrading the roster and helping the salary cap with his recent moves. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.comUpon further review
As for Harden, this is a chance for him to join with Donovan Mitchell in the backcourt and help the Cavs make a deep run in the playoffs. The Eastern Conference doesn’t have a dominant team.
The Cavs believed this was the time to take a chance on Harden being at the top of his game. He often plays well immediately after joining a new team – and then becomes discontented within a year or two.
Right now, the Cavs are focused upon what happens in the next few months. They’ll deal with any problems possibly arising from Harden later on.
Mitchell is desperate to get out of the second round. He’s made the playoffs in all eight of his NBA seasons. But he’s never reached the NBA’s Final Four.
Mitchell is eligible to sign a contract extension in the summer and the Cavs want that to happen. A strong playoff push could convince Mitchell that staying with the Cavs is right for him.
The verdict on these moves will come in the playoffs, but the front office has given me (and most Cavs fans) more reason to feel upbeat about the season.