The Cleveland Cavaliers went all out during their trade deadline crusade, pulling off three trades in a row to flip their roster and get younger, faster, and more accurate from the perimeter with the pieces acquired — a series of aggressive moves that may keep LeBron James right at home by the end of the season.
According to a league executive, the Cavs have grandly increased their chances to retain James this offseason after making changes that not only put them in a position to win now, but in the future.
“I would have said it was a 50-50 proposition that he would go back to Cleveland this summer before all of this, even a week ago,” one league executive told Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. “I think this moves it more in the Cavs’ favor. They’re younger and deeper. If the lifestyle is all the same to him, and I don’t know that it is, I’d think he would stay in Cleveland.
“I would put it from 50-50 a week ago to now, something like 75-25 that he stays. Even if they don’t win this year, they’ve given themselves room to grow.”
The Cavs parted ways with the Kyrie Irving trade return package of Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder, only keeping the most important asset — their Brooklyn Nets first-round pick, after shedding their own first-rounder. Cleveland also rid themselves of Iman Shumpert, Channing Frye, Derrick Rose, and Dwyane Wade while getting vastly younger acquiring Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Rodney Hood, and George Hill.