Most people didn’t expect the Cleveland Cavaliers to be too busy this offseason, but they did make some minor adjustments that could help them a lot in the future.
Writing for Bleacher Report, Zach Buckley dug into the changes and gave the team a B grade.
“Once the Cavaliers made the correct call not to break apart their core four, they were bound for a pretty uneventful summer. Their movement around the margins intrigued a bit, though. Letting Ty Jerome walk was probably a no-brainer given their cap constraints and his postseason struggles. His replacement, Lonzo Ball, is a walking wild card with myriad injury issues in his past, but he at least inspires more hope than a bargain-bin retread would have. It stinks that Cleveland couldn’t get more out of its investment in Isaac Okoro, but the Cavs had clearly determined he wasn’t their answer on the wing. Nothing earth-shattering happened around this team, but it didn’t have to. The Cavaliers should enter next season as the on-paper favorite to win the East,” Buckley wrote.
The Cavaliers didn’t have a lot of options, and they didn’t really need them.
They were the best regular-season team in the East last season, which means big overhauls weren’t required.
But they came up short, again, in the playoffs, and there are concerns about their depth and health.
They had to let Ty Jerome go because they simply didn’t have the financial ability to keep him.
And cutting ties with Isaac Okoro felt like a long time coming.
Adding Lonzo Ball and Larry Nance Jr. might not be game-changers, but it could be just what the team needs in the season ahead.
When a team is very close to true greatness, they shouldn’t drastically shake things up.
However, if the 2025-26 season doesn’t end with a lot of playoff success, you can be sure that bigger changes will come next summer.
NEXT: Cavs Release Full NBA Schedule For 2025-26
