Random dribbles on the Cavaliers, and what we’re hearing and reading about the organization in the post-trade deadline portion of the season.
1. There was some obvious discord between the starting backcourt of Collin Sexton and Darius Garland during Monday’s blowout loss to the Utah Jazz, with Garland seemingly getting frustrated with Sexton’s shot selection. But sources told FortyEightMinutes there is no reason for concern — it was just teammates being teammates during the heat of a failed battle.
2. That may be true, but there seems to be a growing sentiment around the NBA that Garland isn’t entirely thrilled in Cleveland. Whether it’s related to Sexton is unclear, but all the losing seems to be taking a heavy toll on the players, who are never content to just play for the lottery. Garland, it appears, is more unhappy than most with the Cavs’ lack of success.
3. The Andre Drummond ordeal and eventual buyout was said to weigh heavily on his former teammates, some of whom questioned management’s decision to sit Drummond until things got resolved, sources said.
4. As you know, the Cavs and Drummond agreed to a contract buyout, and he has since signed with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. But the Cavs did try with all their might to trade Drummond before reaching that conclusion.
5. Per Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Cavs had the “framework” of a Drummond deal in place with the Toronto Raptors, with the Cavs showing “significant interest” in guard Norman Powell, traded to the Portland Trail Blazers at the deadline.
6. The Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat and Boston Celtics all also had an interest in Drummond. But none could come close to matching his $28 million expiring contract. The Cavs wanted at least a second-round pick in a deal for Drummond, but were never able to get anywhere near a deal.
7. All of the above teams, sans the Bulls and Heat, talked with the Cavs all the way up until the trade deadline last Thursday. Each was granted permission to speak with Drummond and his representatives while contemplating a deal, Fischer reported.
8. While Drummond is currently in LA, he’s still on an expiring contract, just now for the veteran’s minimum. So word is, the Hornets will try to make a strong play for him again during the offseason. Sources said Drummond is indeed intrigued by the idea of joining the Hornets or Knicks next. But the Lakers still have a lot of season left, so it remains to be seen if that holds.
9. You can add the Celtics as another team that intends to pursue Drummond this summer. They garnered strong interest from Drummond after his contract buyout, as he even spoke with Celtics point guard and fellow UConn product Kemba Walker before the trade deadline, Fischer noted.
10. As for what’s left of the Cavs, sources have indicated that general manager Koby Altman could very well be on the hot seat. While team owner Dan Gilbert isn’t viewing this season as “playoffs-or-bust,” the Cavs do need to show competitiveness, determination and all the other buzzwords that indicate steps in a promising direction.
11. Along with that, sources said, dramas such as the ones centered on Drummond and Kevin Porter Jr. earlier this season must end. While the Cavs tend to spin every last move as a positive, Drummond’s stay proved costly, Porter is tearing it up with the Houston Rockets (and looks to be exactly what the Cavs need) and it’s fairly clear the Cavs are still lacking that once-in-a-lifetime talent to take the next big steps.
12. All this despite the fact Cavs were blessed with five first-round picks in the previous three drafts. Three of those picks (Sexton, Garland and rookie Isaac Okoro) were selected in the lottery.
13. Another concern for the time being is how the Cavs lost Drummond, traded JaVale McGee and now really have no “veteran voice” to push all the youth. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff still has his players’ respect, but even lottery teams need older players who have “been there before.” Think of Baron Davis back with the 2011 team. Or Vince Carter with last year’s Atlanta Hawks.
14. It’s true that the Cavs have Kevin Love and Matthew Dellavedova, but Love is rarely healthy and isn’t someone who displays strong leadership skills when he does play. He is more like just one of the guys. Nothing wrong with that, but the Cavs are clearly lacking a battle-tested veteran. Delly, of course, has been out all season and there’s no telling if he’ll return.
15. Overall, for as much as the Cavs could still use yet another lottery pick to take yet another stab at a generational player, the losing is starting to weigh on guys. The locker-room culture is shaky and the on-court chemistry is still somewhat questionable. So Altman will again have to try to make all the right moves this summer to keep things from coming completely off the tracks. The rest of the season will determine whether he even gets the chance.
