Insider Praises Cavs GM For How He Built The Team

For the past two decades, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been LeBron James’ team.

Even when he’s not around, the team still lives in his shadow.

That’s why it was so refreshing to see a whole new roster, except for Tristan Thompson, secure the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

With that in mind, NBA analyst Sam Amico tipped his hat to GM Koby Altman for what he’s done with this roster.

Talking on the “Full Court Cleveland” podcast, Amico gushed about the way this team is built and how fun it’s been to watch them dominate:

“Think about how Koby Altman has built this team and built this roster with this depth, hired the right coach at the right time,” Amico said. “I think it’s huge for the franchise. I’ve never had so much fun covering a team.”

How cool is it for Cleveland basketball to be relevant without LeBron James? #LetEmKnow

"The way they've built this team through the depth and coaching staff is huge for the franchise."

– @amicohoops

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— Full Court Cleveland (@FullCourtCLE) April 16, 2025

Altman also deserves plenty of credit for being so patient with this core.

Just last season, the fans were urging them to break up their backcourt.

There were even rumors about Darius Garland being ready to request a trade if they signed Donovan Mitchell to a contract extension.

The fans also had doubts about whether Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley could coexist on offense, given that neither of them was much of a floor-spacer.

Instead of caving into the pressure or looking to get immediate results, he stayed true to his vision and doubled down on this roster.

Being able to keep Mitchell spoke volumes about how invested he was in their project, and he was clearly on board with their plan towards contention.

Then, landing De’Andre Hunter while also getting under the salary cap may have been the cherry on top of the sundae.

Fans and analysts bashed Altman for not making a lot of moves in the offseason, but sometimes the moves you don’t make are as important as the ones you do.