Should The Cleveland Cavaliers Run It Back?

Should The Cleveland Cavaliers Run It Back?

What is up fellow sickos? I am Dan Favali coming at you with the one, the only, my certified fantabulous co-host, Mr. Grant Hughes. Our offseason look ahead train rolls onward. We’re going to be focusing on the Cleveland Cavaliers in this look ahead. Grant, before we get started, how the heck are you? I’m doing very well. Um, I’m excited to cover uh the Cavs here because as they were being eliminated, I had some thoughts about them and I’m eager to share them with you. Oh, that’s exciting. Let’s let’s let’s not waste any time then. Let’s dig right into it. Okay. So, do you need to get those thoughts off before we get into their offseason vitals? No, I think we’ll get to them organically because I I I feel they feel like they might like uh curtail the discussion if I throw them out right now. So, let’s get through the vitals. So, I’ll do I’ll do the vitals on this one. Uh they’re $5 million into the second apron in part because Evan Mobley won defensive player of the year, so his contract got bumped up to that 30% max. That does not include though new deals for Ty Jerome who’s an early bird free agent which basically means they can give him 175% raise off his current salary or 105% of the league average salary. It’ll be 105% of the league average salary if he sticks around because he’s just making so little. It also does not include Sam Merrill. And I think this is kind of the question to start with though, Grant, is they did duck the tax at the trade deadline while getting DeAndre Hunter, which was smart because I think they knew that this type of season was coming. But when you start to get into, okay, they’ve now, it’s not just that they haven’t made it out of the second round in the past three years, is that they’ve won two second round games since trading for Don Mitchell, which is not a lot. there are built-in excuses and I don’t mean excuses in a derogatory way anyway like they’ve been dealing with injuries this this season included but when you kind of look at this team do you expect them to just be like we’re just going to at least spend deep into the second apron for next season well I mean that’s and the the just as an to illustrate it what I have and this is from Bobby Marks is that if you give Ty Jerome for just as an example I’ll answer your question like four for 64 is about as high as they can go according to his estimates And if you’re adding 14 million in salary in 2526 all your penalties and stuff tack another 80 million on to that like so that’s a lot just it’s a it’s a fair amount I’d say fair to midling. Uh so like that’s just getting to your question is like well how far are these guys going to go with a core that like everybody loves and they won 64 games but it’s like two second round wins is still just two second round wins. How much more money do you dump into this? or can you spend a little smarter and maybe get just as good a results without like just without Tai Jerome or whatever like trimming payroll a little bit. So I think you are obl one you’re sort of stuck like all of the guys that make the most money are just not going anywhere. Like maybe you consider Jared Allen but he’s a distant fourth on the like salary pecking order of of Cleveland’s top guys. But so I think they will continue to be deep into the second apron just because like I think the moves you’d make to get meaningful salary reduction are just kind of like not realistic and would like anything really like salary reducing would make this team way too much worse to like to justify it. So yeah, I I I mean they’re in danger of having what their 2033 first frozen, right? Like if if they don’t if they’re in the second apron again at the end. So, like they’re up against it. It’s Did this sneak up on you? Because it’s like, oh, Phoenix is screwed and Denver and and and Milwaukee and it’s like, all right, Cleveland also has some I’m more so just amazed that it took them this long to get here because you look at their top. It just helped that Evan Mobley was on his rookie deal. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland weren’t on like Daryus Garin’s still on that first max deal and he’s Darius Garland’s extension eligible, can sign for two years, 128.4 million. I would probably offer it, but I like I don’t we normally don’t see players sign that type of extension because especially when they’re his age. But I guess that’s what I want to ask you because this ties into everything. How much do you read into this particular postseason when you’re trying to figure out what to do with this team? because it’s we could say okay fine they’re going to be a second apron team but is like let’s even just say they could lop off Isaac Aoro trade him into someone’s exception and then just resign Ty Jerome after the series that he had against the Pacers is that something they even want to do and then it’s you know Sam Merrill even like kind of struggling at points in that series. So, how much do you read into, you know, what happened in the playoffs? And that includes with Darius Garland versus no, like they were injured again and how much of if if you lean towards, you know, last year you and I were a little bit overaggressive with what we were calling for with Cleveland. I don’t think any of us are going to be calling for that this time, but it it does. Yeah, these are small sample sizes. injuries matter, but it’s like that’s part of everything is is I think what was also a huge crux of their appeal for me is it felt like their depth was functional to where it would translate to the playoffs. And I think it did at times, but it didn’t translate like Indiana’s depth did, right, as an example. So, I’m just wondering if you’re running this team or just your view of this team, how much, if at all, has how the postseason ended influenced you? So, this is kind of gets into what I was like my overarching thought is not a lot uh because like look you you won 64 64 games and you lost in the second round at least partly because of injury and and like maybe who knows like maybe entirely because of injury just just because like Garland was clearly hampered Mitchell was going through it even though he was mostly very productive Moy had an issue like it you can’t you can’t really tell the story of the Cavs season without mentioning key injuries to key guys at the worst possible time. Yeah. So like to me that and it that along with like their sort of general like lack of like medium flexibility like yeah you can be real flexible if you want to trade your stars but like they’re not going to do that. So coupled with their like fairly limited options to change the team. I I don’t view this off seasonason as like all right like last year as a as the foil for it like all right got to make a big change. This doesn’t work the two bigs and too small. Like we we’re a long way from where we were on Cleveland just a year ago. Certainly we are. Maybe the consensus is a long way too. So maybe it’s antilimactic, but I think you probably run this back and and with or without the Tai Jeromes of the world because like what what this postseason maybe what you can take from this postseason that informs informs your decision-m is that Ty Jerome was an awesome regular season player that was not effective in the postseason and you should not care so much about innings eaters and care a lot more about like who can be on the floor against Indiana and we don’t have an issue with it and maybe Ty Drum isn’t that guy and it’s not worth paying him what you’d have to to to keep him. So, it just to me it just shifts the focus a little bit to who are our postseason guys and otherwise we’re kind of just we’re we’re going to stick with the the core that we have. Yeah, I I agree with everything you said there. And what I thought was actually really cool is I don’t know if you saw Donovan Mitchell had what I would call some of the more like forceful and passionate comments I’ve seen from a star that lost like pretty handedly against the Pacers where he just I mean the gist of it was we’re going to be back and he apologized he for the city of Cleveland like we’re going to be back and I thought that was really cool and the the whole Mitchell to Cleveland I don’t mean to be I know we don’t necessarily get too romantic when we’re analyzing this but the whole Mitchell to Cleveland thing just really rules because the Cavs were not a team that was on his primary list. They traded for him anyway. He stayed and now you’re at a point where you go through last season and you had some idiots like us and like we didn’t say trade everybody but we were like well maybe look into trading Jared Allen after what happened and they ended up extending him. You kept it together and then now you go through this. you just won 64 games and everyone’s expectation was that you were going to make the conference finals at least and he comes out of it just saying basically like yeah we messed up we were injured that’s no excuse like we’re going to be back and that’s refreshing because I do recognize and we talk about a lot windows open and shut far more quickly than they normally do but there’s also something to if your best players all of whom for the most part Darius Garland was injured we could maybe have a discussion about Jared Allen but like all of your best players just kind of being in sync and wanting to be there and not putting I’ll put there’s pressure on the front office but now it’s not coming from your best player like I think that means a whole lot here. I I agree and I think like again to sort of romanticize it the what’s the whole thing like the spur the dynastic Spurs never repeated you know they always they had and you know just the gap between the first Duncan title and the last one is like whatever 15 years or something ridiculous like that like I I as I was thinking about like okay what does Cleveland do from here as as the last you know seconds of of their season are ticking away I I did think more about like I wonder If one of the effects of the Second Apron and like very careful spending and and whatever is that like you kind of do have teams that are this good that realize like we can’t just keep adding. It’s like not possible. So let’s just like let’s not assume there’s a move we can make that can make us better than a 64 win team because realistically there just isn’t right. Like you just that’s about as good as you can be, you know, most years almost any year. So like maybe there’s just maybe we get like a little bit of a premium on continuity and like maybe we don’t freak out every time a team that’s this good doesn’t you deliver on these huge expectations. I don’t know. I I started thinking maybe there’s maybe it’s like wishful thinking because it would be nice if we had like more continuity and gave a team more than like one or two shots to break through. Um, I I I just I I don’t know if that’s what’s going to happen, but it does feel like the right course at least for this team. Just like see if you can win 58 games and stay a little healthier and you know, like maybe you get a break in the post. Maybe Indiana’s hurt and you and you win that series next time it happens. Like I just it’s so hard to be better than the Cavs were that I’m like hesitant to suggest they do anything, you know, consequential. Not that they really can, right? And I think so there are two ways to look at this. Let’s let’s take the Giannis question first. Would you consider so they can trade up to one first round pick in 2031 or 2032 right now. Would you trade Darius Garland Jared Allen and a first round pick for Yiannis attent if it was available to you? Uh I think I probably would. Um yeah, you just you just have to get the you know one of the top three guys in the league. You have to do it. I think you have to get it. I don’t know that I mean if Milwaukee isn’t getting its own picks back, it’s hard to find a package that would make them like Darius Garland kind of a tempo for the future and they could be competitive. Yeah. Um maybe you could send Jared Allen to New Orleans to get back one or both of your first round picks. Um if I’m the Cavs though, like I don’t know. I like I’m not seeking that out because there there are two ways to look at it because you kind of mentioned maybe you’re healthier. What I kept coming back to is in theory this team did everything right during the regular season. it stars weren’t overused and then you get to the playoffs and they’re all banged up anyway. So in my head I’m like what’s the point of necessarily preserving that depth if this could just happen anyway, right? Like Giannis is you you really tether like right now, okay, your asset light, but your timeline is still so open-ended because of Garland and Moy specifically. And if you go the Giannis route, you’re very much in this truncated Donovan Mitchell Giannis window. It does help that you still have Evan Mobley who’s super young and amazing. I don’t think that I I don’t know. I I think you probably would have to do it, but it’s not something I came away from the playoffs thinking that, oh, the Cavs need to do something on that level. Well, right. And like you mentioned Moy, I I mean we’ve been having conversations about this Cavs core, you know, since it came together. And like I can distinctly remember us me saying I think you agreeing like I think the the way forward or like the the best case scenario for this team is that Evan Mobley is the team’s best player unquestionably. And like he might be that now, but it’s questionable at least just because Mitchell is, you know, just can do the things on offense that you need someone to do to win playoff series, but it’s not I mean like shouldn’t it be the expectation that Moy is a little better next year just based on where he is in the aging curve? And if you pay attention to the discourse like that, you know what I mean? And like isn’t Garland young enough to take like a tiny step forward and was so good. There were people I I disagree like there were people for a while that had him like above Donovan Mitchell on their allNBA ballots and it’s I did I did for a minute. It just I mean he he’s really good and could get better and and Moy should get better. So like yeah I I mean you you know okay so the Giannis trade yeah you probably got to do it but what if what if in like two years Moy is a better player than Giannis or like three you know it’s we’re not that far away from where like the trajectory lines have hit the X in the in the in the you know career arc chart. So like again I so this is why I didn’t want to get to this main point right away because we’re supposed to talk about their options but to me it’s just like I think this core is as good as it can be realistically and I think you should give it another shot you know and whether that involves Tai Jerome or Sam Merrill who who can say but but the core just needs another crack at it. So, what would actually be their needs to you where it’s you have to you’re going to look at minimums or like maybe they’re I mean they have movable salary. So, if they really wanted to go all in, you could trade a first round pick plus salary and if you’re doing something like that, what are you looking to address? Well, if if it’s a trade, then you’re it’s a little bit of a different conversation. But like if if you decide you don’t want to pay 14 plus 80 in penalties for Tai Jerome, you’re going to need a third ball handler. I think unless you really think Moley is going to take a huge step there to where if one or the other of Garland or Mitchell’s not on the floor, Moy is just like, “Yeah, it’s great. We’re fine with him like bringing the ball up and running a lot of the offensive sets.” So, you have to find someone to replace what Jerome gave you. But like other than that, like you the easy answer used to be, well, we need someone to play the three or you know, undersized four. It’s like DeAndre Hunter’s here. That’s like that’s what he’s for. And you still have Max Stre. And maybe a Cororo is someone that you try to flip, but like it it just if it my answer I guess is just like well whoever they don’t bring back they need to replace and and that’s like you know you’re talking sixth seventh eighth wherever you think Jerome falls in the hierarchy like eighth ninth guy something like that. I am wondering if there would be anything they could do. I agree with everything you said there, but where it’s sort of you’re melding two of those three things together where it’s I think a perfect example would be like if Aoro and DeAndre Hunter could be the same player, which would just fill like a lot of needs for them. Or it’s can you get someone who’s a a another like a third ball handler, but they’re also bigger. Like maybe they’re Tai Jerome size, but they’re better on defense. That’s a tall order, but I think if you’re putting a first round pick on the table, maybe you could go like you’re not going to go out there and address that on the minimum. Maybe would Spencer Denwy sign with you? Sure. But that’s not going to be cheaper than Ty your own probably, but that’s not going to solve your everything. And so I still think they could probably hope to upgrade in those types of spots. But I don’t like a name doesn’t spring to mind or be like, “Oh, no, that’s worth it and you should absolutely do it.” And if they do, it’s, you know, they’re probably they’re not going to be available. Like Herb Jones on this team, even though they’re shooting, like that would be incredible. But hey, guess what? Like you’re not getting Herb Jones for one first round pick. Probably not. Yeah. especially at his salary. Like yeah, I I don’t know. I I think like I mean I I wonder too had the Cavs been healthy and and Ty Drum just may not have played that much would I just maybe he maybe you would bring him back then. I don’t know. It’s just like the conversations about their needs would be very different I think if the core guys had been healthier because in like Tai Jerome if you think he got exposed or whatever like that would have been minimized because he just wouldn’t have played as much because you could have lean harder on Garland for example who missed you know significant time in in in the in the postseason. Um I do like just to throw names out there so we’re not just saying do nothing like I don’t know what will Tori and Prince still be a minimum player after this year might be kind of interesting. Yeah. uh as a trade target. I don’t know if he gives you enough of the ball handling and I said about getting like Keon Ellis on this team maybe just a little bit too small if you’re willing to put a pick on the table. That could be kind of interesting. Um but I honestly and I hate saying this but they might be the one team I say this about during the entire look aheads which is like they feel after the DeAndre Hunter team like they just feel so close to complete. Um, I would ask you though, so if you had the option of if you could get rid of Isaac Aoro, so you bring back like who do you view is more important if if it was an eitheror situation for them between him and Jerome? Yeah. Uh, I would say Jerome probably matters more. Um, but that gets tricky if you’re committing what it might take to keep him. Although like yeah, I guess you should assume it’s gonna cost you mid-level or close to it because someone will probably be willing to give him the mid level even. Honestly, I don’t know because I was going through the list of teams the other day of who is even going to have the midlevel and you can get to a point where it’s like 12 might. But I think more realistically, if we’re including cap space teams and then full non-t taxpayer mid-level teams, we’re looking at fewer than 10, probably like eight or six. And then how many of those teams are just gonna want T? Like Brooklyn’s not paying. I don’t think well I mean they could use a ball but they’re not going to come and give Ty Jerome half of their cap. Like here’s $20 million like 240 or something. I don’t think anyway. Yeah. No, I think what does Aoro I think Aoro makes like 11. Um so if you could get Jerome near that number I think like he’s a very good third guard, right? Like playoff stuff aside, I think if if you believe that this past season was like 80% real, then he’s he’s just he’s worth the mid-level probably because he’s a guy that can start on a good team if you need him to. Probably don’t want that for a full season or postseason. But yeah, if if you could get him at like the Aoro rate, then I would just way rather have Ty Jerome. you feel like Hunter being there means Aoro is kind of like yeah he’s the great defender hustle guy but it’s like you’re playing him behind Strus and Hunter essentially in that same role so it’s like he’s the more expendable one Aoro I think anything else on them or any name or t like who would be the most likely player to be traded for that well that so like if you do look into this you can’t say it’s seismic because he’s the fourth guy but if you look at moving Allen for example like you’re trying to even though we just said it’s very hard to get better than 64 wins. Let’s say, well, we think Mobly can play center full-time. Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to have a guy who we think maybe should just be a super high-end backup or like when we need to go to bigs kind of kind of option making 20 and then eventually gets up to like 28 and beyond on the next extension. What do you get? Like who’s out there? Like we’re a Jared. We need Jared Allen to be our starting center and we’ll give you like a a wing of some kind. Like I was going to say I have I have a perspective trade. There would be other math would need to be involved or other teams. Jared Allen for Jaylen Wells and Zack Edy. Jaylen Wells and Zack Edy. Oh man, that’s really interesting. You could say no if it’s not. Actually, this is off the cuff. I did not come in here with any trade ideas planned. Well, I kind of like that for for both because Edy Edy makes more sense as like, yeah, we’re not relying on him as a full-time starter, but man, we can throw him in there against the right matchups and or go double big. and Wells. The same issues with Wells just follow him to Cleveland where it’s like he’s a little small to be guarding threes, but I mean he’s on a dirt cheap deal. So maybe that’s your Aoro upgrade and you can trim Aoro somehow uh from from the books. That’s a fun trade. If you just came up with that right off off the cuff, I’m impressed. The other one I don’t think this is enough, but if I mean maybe if you could what would it take for you to get send him to the Lakers? Like if they sent back they have a first round pick in 27 they could send you like is Austin Reeves and a 27 for Allen like there’d have to be more salary. If you were getting Dorian Finny Smith as part of that deal too I think the Lakers say no at that point. Yeah. Austin Reeves, an expiring contract, and the 27 first round pick. That’s your third ball handler. Then you have to go out and find another big. Unless, I mean, part of the money coming back could be Jared Vanderbilt, but that contract is not Yeah. not great, right? In that scenario, I think the Cavs because Reeves is I don’t know very valuable to them to to the Lakers, too. I wonder if if he’s redundant in Cleveland, like you’re if you’re playing, right? A luxury third ball handler like high luxury. So you’d have to almost like if I’m the Lakers I’m like you’re take I guess it’s Vanderbilt but it’s like you’re taking our worst contract back just because you have to. Honestly I might I don’t know if I would do it if I’m Cleveland but like I wouldn’t mind having Vanderbilt if I’m getting Reeves and then I’m also getting another first round pick. Yeah, I think Jared Allen’s super valuable but like he that was not his best series against the Pacers that I don’t know that I like that for either team. No, I don’t like it as much as the Memphis one. And like it’s we’re not trying to trade Allen. It’s just like, okay, if you’re the Cavs and you’re trying to make a meaningful upgrade, you’re not trading any of those other, you know, Mobly Garland Mitchell, like you’re just not going to trade those guys. So, it just almost has to be Allen if you really want to make a difference. And we’re just sitting here saying like, I’m not even sure that’s the right move. What would you do Jared Allen for? I mean, the Kings the Kings wouldn’t trade Keegan Murray for Jed Allen, right? I mean, I don’t think they they wouldn’t trade Keegan Murray for uh for anybody. What about Mo’Nique Monk and Keon Ellis for Jared Allen? And maybe does a pick need to go out in that one? What are Monk and Ellis? I mean that then then you’re talking those are your third and fourth guards. Yeah. Well could play some three for you a little bit. Yeah. I mean I I think you’re Yeah, that that’s possible. I almost rather have Hunter Hunter’s a little bigger. Maybe a lot bigger. Uh I mean if Cleveland could duck the second eight Well, no. That would be like way too The Nets would have to be involved there. It be really funny if they use Jared Allen in their first round pick as like the vehicle through which they acquire Kevin Durant for this team. Would that work for you? Good god. How? Sure. Let’s do it. That would you be worried though? Could he fit with Don Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and uh Darius Garland? I’m not sure. I mean, for the 18 months you have him, it’s going to be great. And then whatever happens after that happens. Uh I’m kind of out of random off-the cuff Jared. Well, I mean, New Orleans like would you give Herb Jones and stuff for or are you like, “No, we have Eve Mey and Zion. We don’t know where we’re going. We’re not going that route.” Well, I I don’t know if New Orleans knows where it’s going. Full stop. But like, if you’re giving up, don’t you in a vacuum, isn’t Herb Jones more valuable than Jared Allen or is it Do you view it the other way? It’d be nice to see Herb Jones play some uh playoff basketball. Sure. That’s not not entirely his fault, right? Um I don’t know. It’s tough because this season for Herb Jones was rough with the injuries and yeah, I think it would be close, but if you have me like if New Orleans doesn’t really know what it’s do, you’re not going to I mean like and then also the money would be tough here because there’s Herb Jones, then you need to come up with like another 20 million or something and that’s just you’re not taking back Dejonte Murray if you’re Cleveland. That would be harder. I I just think like a lot if you’re really trying to figure out ways for the Cavs to get even better, I I keep circling back to like, well, you just have to reconfigure the team so that so that Moley’s playing center and instead of Allen, you have a cheaper like second big for for a two big look and then just another like big wingforward type like I mean Herb Jones isn’t a big wing, but like someone like that, you just change the makeup a little bit and maybe maybe if Mobly is just like, “Yeah, no, He’s He’s like a full-on anchor now. He can do all that stuff. Like that’s that’s the different look you might go for. Can I galaxy brain something, please? This is This is We’re not checking the framework. I could make it work if people are interested and give them the exact details of the deal. A three team trade between Golden State, Brooklyn, and Cleveland where Jared Allen ends up in Golden State, Kaminga’s in Brooklyn, and Cam Johnson is in Cleveland. I actually had a thought because as we’re recording today, we’ll just pull the curtain back. We’re going to do a Warriors look ahead, too. I was like, is there a framework where Kaminga is part of an Allen acquisition for Golden State? I hadn’t thought about the third team and getting Cam in there. Um, that’s interesting. Warriors have to send out picks in that scenario, which is four, which is actually kind of wild when you think about it. I was surprised by that, too. Yeah, that’s interesting. Yeah. But is Jared Down like the type of big that you think would work well in Golden State? Yeah, I think I mean he’s better he you know you’re not getting the spacing but like he’s better than Trace Jackson Davis and Kavon Looney. So So if you’re if it’s like Jonathan Kaminga and two like how many picks are you attaching to Jonathan Kaminga to get Jared Allen? Because I think you could like is Cam Johnson for Jar the first part of this would be from since this is a Cleveland podcast. Do you like Cam Johnson on the Cavaliers better than Jared Allen? And if it’s like a scoch less, then you also need to send Cleveland something for this deal to work. I mean, I think that that’s what I’m that’s kind of the look I’m talking about where it’s like I you could argue about whether Cam Johnson’s better than Jared Allen, like you know, just objectively, but if you’re trying to change the Cavs in a way that’s like maybe we’re more playoff fit this way, I think Johnson would be someone that could could get you there, like he’s he’s not maybe he’s exactly as good as Jared Allen, but like he’s different. like he makes the team different offensively principally because you really can be a full five out without giving up too much size. like your rebounding is going to be a problem because it’s also a problem with the two bigs in right Johnson’s not a good rebounder and if you’re swapping out your best rebounder for him or like that or maybe you know maybe that’s Moy but a good rebounder for him that’s that’s going to accentuate something that’s already like pretty weak right so you that’s the other thing is like if the Cavs are going to get better they’re going to give it back somewhere else probably like if you’re talking about a big trade so on balance maybe you’re just different and that matters I don’t Do do you still believe and I think this would be the good wrap up because I’m I’m with you. So, we went through this exercise. I the Cam Johnson one’s super interesting. I don’t know if the you liked the Memphis trade I pitched that’s like leaning so far into just young guys that I would I’d be a little hesitant. We would run it back. But like do you still believe if they were going to move Jared Allen who of the core four if they were to move any of them does feel like the most likely to go. Do you still believe that you can approximate like good value in center on the cheap to where because m all the trades we kind of talked about with the exception of that the Memphis one you’re getting Zach Edy be like all right I would love to know who’s the other big or two bigs that are in their rotation at that point. I I think I still think that like capable backup center play, which is what you would be talking about, I think, if you’re trading Allen, like as as a need for Cleveland, because you’re not the whole idea is like Mo’s the center. I think it’s still easier at center to get a minimum guy or close to it as like a good enough backup who could play in two big looks than it is to get like, oh, we need a wing or we need a ball. Like, you just those guys just aren’t, you know, right? you don’t run into it’s it’s uncommon that like Gary Trent Jr. and like Torian Prince or like Malik Beasley signed for super like those guys are the exceptions and even they aren’t like really what we’re talking about for the Cavs. So yeah, I mean that that’s still the case, right? We haven’t swung the pendulum hasn’t gone all the way back on centers where like suddenly it’s not the easiest position to replace cheaply. No, I’m with you. And I think Bismak Bonbo exists so it’s just as fine. I mean, honestly, the thought I had when we were going through this is what if they because you could probably duck the second apron if you’re getting rid of um if you’re not bringing back Tyro Merrell’s like what if Brook Lopez was just like hey I’ll sign for the mini MLE or even the minimum that I mean then it’s like okay that’s a different type of big from Jared Allen will make that clear but uh yeah you have anything else on this team or you ready to take us out of here? No, I think that’s going to do it. What I would add and I think we agree on is like 64 wins is very good. you should just kind of see if you can do that again and then not be hurt. Fair. Fair enough. Like that that that’s our that’s our cutting analysis. If I’m Kobe Alman, the most extreme thing I’m looking at would be is it like can we bring back Ty Jerome when we need to lop off salary elsewhere? Or is it should we put our first round pick on the table, attach it to salary and try and take like not bring in another star, but it’s not trading the core forwards trying to augment them yet again. Sign Tyus Jones for the minimum. Something like that. He’s a free agent, right? Um, yeah, let Cavs fans especially, let us know what you think. Um, let us know how comfortable you are with with Standing Pat because it’s easy for us to say. We don’t have any skin in the game, but I I I feel like that’s the right call. Be interested to hear counter opinions. Um, wherever you’re listening to this or watching this, rate, review, subscribe, leave us some comments on YouTube, join our Discord. Links for that in the YouTube and podcast description. Uh, tell your friends, tell your enemies. Shouts Frank Milikino. Apologies, Jared Allen. [Music]

Dan and Grant break down the stakes for the Cleveland Cavaliers heading into the 2025 NBA offseason. Should they run it back? Which trades make sense? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! Don’t forget to subscribe for more detailed and fun NBA content! CHAPTERS BELOW.

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CHAPTERS⬇️
0:00 – INTRO
0:38 – Cap situation + Ty Jerome’s free agency
4:53 – How much should Cavs read into the playoffs?
7:19 – Donovan Mitchell preaches continuity
9:08 – Running it back isn’t a copout
13:49 – Biggest needs
18:55 – Hypothetical trades
27:03 – Cleveland is going to be fine

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