NBA Rumors: Cavs' Players Doubting Title Chances; Franchise Want to Keep Nets' Pick as Insurance
What's the story?
Multiple Cleveland Cavaliers' players are of the belief that they won’t be able to get around their issues and win an NBA title this season.
In case you didn't know...
The Cavs acquired Brooklyn’s unprotected first-round pick in this offseason trade that sent Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics.
The heart of the matter...
According to ESPN.com’s Dave McMenamin, “several dominant players” told ESPN, Cleveland.com and The Athletic that patience might not be enough to get them back to being title contenders.
Isaiah Thomas, with 13.6 points and 3.4 assists per game, has failed till now to create the kind of impact that was expected from him in the 5 games he has played. Apart from LeBron’s 27.3 points, 8.8 assists and 8.0 rebounds per game and Kevin Love’s near double-double with 19.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, the Cavaliers lack standout performances after the departure of Kyrie Irving.
The most prominent of the Cavs problems have been their defense. They rank 29th in defensive efficiency (per NBA.com). According to McMenamin, “an aging roster, defensively challenged personnel and a glut of redundant role players” are amongst the biggest issues.
Amidst these issues remain the big speculation about LeBron’s future in this franchise. Therefore the Cavs reportedly are preferring to keep the Brooklyn pick since it could be a “potential franchise-resetting asset” if James decides to leave town for the second time in his career.
The Nets are tied with the Phoenix Suns for the seventh-worst record in the NBA. But due to the randomness of the lottery pick, the Nets could end up with even the N0.1 overall pick. That gives Cleveland a shot at stars like Oklahoma guard Trae Young, Duke forward Marvin Bagley III, Arizona center DeAndre Ayton or Slovenia guard Luka Donic.
What's next?
After the 118-108 loss to the Golden State Warriors, the Cavaliers are 3-9 in their last 12 games. They host the Orlando Magic on Thursday.
Author's take
Keeping the Brooklyn pick would is a wise decision on the part of the Cavaliers' organization, especially since LeBron James hasn't made his intentions clear yet for the upcoming summer.