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CLEVELAND, Ohio – Bereft of the trump cards of years of win-all-price and sacrifice-all, Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman took on a mission a few years ago. He called it asset accumulation.
With LeBron James gone and an inevitable rebuild, the main road to the Cavs’ return to respectability was through the draft. The goal was to acquire as many choices as possible, either to use them on young building blocks – Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, Dylan Windler, Kevin Porter Jr. and Isaac Okoro – or to accumulate, patiently waiting for the right one. moment to strike. via trade, a secondary path to substantial improvement.
Throughout Altman’s oft-reprimanded tenure, he hit a lot of singles. A first protected tour. A second round. A few seconds plus an expiring contract. Trade exceptions.
Then came Wednesday afternoon. An Altman home run.
“What you see in the last few trades is really paying off on a lot of these singles,” Altman said Thursday afternoon via Zoom. “To add a 22-year-old center, entering his fourth year in the league, it’s proven, that has more perks, that has all the intangibles that you are looking to add to your culture, to have that opportunity yesterday. , we just felt was too good to pass up.
The Cavs were a willing blockbuster participant James Harden that landed him in Brooklyn, dropping the Milwaukee Bucks’ unprotected 2022 first-round pick, injured guard Dante Exum, and a 2024 second-round that has minimal value in exchange. from center going up Jarrett. Allen and rugged 3-and-D Taurean Prince wing.
While the agreement became official Thursday morning, the process began months ago.
The Cleveland front office held talks with the Nets during a free agency, inquiring about Allen’s availability as a potential replacement for Tristan Thompson. Even though Brooklyn hesitated, members of their front office remembered the interest and reached out on Wednesday afternoon, leading the Cavs into the deal that will change the landscape that will be remembered for years to come.
“If you do your job, you register your interest long before,” Altman said. “Things just picked up speed pretty quickly, I would say, because they knew we would be able to do something to help them reach their ultimate goal.”
The Nets were desperate to exceed the Philadelphia 76ers’ offer for Harden and couldn’t do it alone. With three dear stars and no chance of re-signing Allen as a restricted free agent this offseason, the Nets parted ways with the gifted youngster and fired Prince’s big salary while clinging to a future draft pick.
Brooklyn has her man. The Cavs did too. More Prince.
“Jarrett adds a track that definitely (fits a) long-term vision in terms of how we want to play, how JB wants to play,” Altman said. “All we know about him is a great person, a great character, on the team. Intellectually brilliant, suitable for our young group. And then, adding Taurean Prince is a big deal for us too. A tough and defensive player who we know will be added to this group. These two show up on our doorstep later today and we are ready to welcome them with open arms.
Allen, 22, is the kind of player who rarely hits the trading market, and if he does, typically costs more than an injured expiring contract, a late first round, and a throw-in pick. season, he averaged 11.2 points on 67.7% of the court to go with 10.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.
Considering Allen’s combination of age, production, and selfless style, he’s in line for a big payday this summer.
“I think he has a ton of wiggle room,” head coach JB Bickerstaff said. “What is clear and an advantage for him is that he knows who he is and he knows what his game is. I think the guys were the most successful the fastest, when they don’t have to try to figure out exactly who they are. They come out and know who they are because of the jump, and then we can build and develop from there. I think this is a good starting point. “
Free agency is generally not successful for Cleveland. It is difficult to win a bidding war against more attractive candidates. That way the Cavs have the inner lane. As well as getting his bird rights and having the ability to match any offering sheet this summer, they can get Allen familiar with Bickerstaff’s system and style. Let him know everything about the organization.
“Better to have it in-house than to try to acquire it during restricted free agency,” Altman said. “To give up the value we’ve made, we definitely see it in our long-term future.”
With Allen locked in as the newest member of the Cleveland Core, the team’s vision suddenly came into focus. Detractors used to point out that the Cavs were an ill-suited collection of young talent. Too many guards. Not enough … well … something else. Hard to say that now.
There is always a level of uncertainty with Garland-Sexton’s undersized backcourt. The Cavs need more information before deciding if this will work. But the front office recognized the best way to alleviate lingering defensive concerns: interior size and rim protection.
Allen will be the anchor for the bottom line. Prince can take on some of these tougher clashes against the league’s top perimeter scorers, sharing that responsibility with Okoro, who continues to show some exciting flashes after being the No.5 pick in the 2020 Draft.
“We have probably the best young rim protection center in the league, which helps us defensively – which has been a focal point for us,” Bickerstaff said. “Not to mention the vertical spacing he provides on the offensive side, how he’s able to navigate pick and roll on the offensive side to help our guards when they’re healthy. Taurus, his ability to space the ground, the tenacity he brings. These are the kind of people we are looking for and players as well.
Take a look at the future of the Cavs. There is more hope these days. Garland and Sexton in the backcourt – if they prove to be able to flourish together. Okoro as a potential little two-way forward with a defense-first mentality and non-quantifiable intangibles. Allen, the threat of the rebounding lob, roller, rim runner and defensive pivot. Larry Nance Jr. as a versatile forward with a high basketball IQ, booming outside shot and disruptive hands. There’s also tantalizing 20-year-old swingman Porter and sniper Windler.
“We’re really excited to see this group moving forward,” Altman said. “You can kind of go down the line, starting at 23, but then we have some really important vets who are going to help us in that process to make sure that we are still playing meaningful basketball games and trying to achieve victories. “
The Cavs knew that for this season it was not time to hit the “go” button. They already had a full list and a limited salary cap. So, they took more modest steps to complete the roster, leaving Bickerstaff to lay the groundwork, sanitize the culture, and put his stamp on the franchise as the young players grew up.
Altman said Thursday the Cavs are still in evaluation mode. They have guys who can play. They know that. Now they have to figure out how really good these coins really are. This is the next step. Well, that, and winning more matches, which will be a lot easier when players come back from the injury list and after the additions of Allen and Prince.
It’s all part of the plan, a plan that looks even better but is still far from over.
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