Do Cavs have one last hurrah?
LeBron could be gone next summer, and others may leave, too.
As the Cavaliers CLEVELAND — open the 2017-18 season Tuesday night, so much seems tenuous.
It could be the final campaign of the second chapter in Cleveland for LeBron James, who can opt out of his contract and become a free agent next summer.
While James said on Sept. 25 that he intends to remain home, his feelings could change depending upon his relationship with Cavs owner Dan Gilbert and how much longer Gilbert is willing to pay massive luxury tax bills to try to win another championship.
Derrick Rose, the 2011 league MVP, signed a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract to resurrect his career, but will be looking for big money if he accomplishes that goal.
Dwyane Wade used a buyout from the Bulls to orchestrate another year with James and go for what could be his last shot at a fourth title. But Wade won’t be such a bargain if he wants to continue his career.
Isaiah Thomas was the headline-grabbing piece of an Aug. 22 trade with the Celtics for disgruntled Kyrie Irving, but Thomas is in the final year of his contract and will seek a max deal in July even though he’s sidelined with a torn labrum in his right hip.
But even if the Cavs are about to embark on what could be a last hurrah for many, their collection of talent could make for a thrilling ride back to the NBA Finals.
In preseason, Rose h as impressed with his passing and his ability to get to the basket. And as he observed Tuesday, “My 3-ball is looking nice right now.”
Wade has moved into the starting shooting guard spot, pushing J.R. Smith to the second unit, but has spoken often of the sacrifices that will be needed. Wade seems to have turned back the clock at age 35.
In trad i ng Irving when it
continued from C1 became clear that he and the team could no longer coexist, the Cavs acquired Brooklyn’s unprotected firstround pick in 2018. While that seems like insurance for a player to build around if James departs, Gilbert and new general manager Koby Altman could use it to pick up an additional piece at the trade deadline as they attempt to unseat the defending champion Warriors.
The Cavs are also hungry, motivated by their loss to the Warriors in Game 5 of the Finals. No one in the organization seems to have forgotten their five-point loss in Game 3, most of all Kyle Korver, who missed an open 3-pointer with 52 seconds left and the Cavs down by two.
Korver said Sept. 26 that he still hadn’t watched the replay.
“The end of the year hurt me more than any other year that I’ve probably been in,” he said.
Korver, 36, used the disappointment as motivation in the offseason and as the impetus to sign a three-year, $22 million free-agent deal.
“I think there’s a renewed sense of urgency. I think there’s a sense that we’ve got to evolve a little more, too,” Korver said last month. “I think last year, you won last time. You won doing what you did. But this time we lost, so we’ve got to do a couple things a little differ- ently and a little better and a little cleaner. I think it’s going to help us this year.”
Kevin Love said he believes the hunger the Cavs brought to camp is still there.
“I hope so. We need to feel that, we need to act on it as well, day by day.” Love said. “We can’t get too far ahead of ourselves, want it to happen super fast.”
The Warriors remain the Cavs’ biggest obstacle to the franchise winning another Larry O’Brien Trophy to go with the one from 2016. But in the short term, Cavs coach Tyronn Lue faces the challenge of integrating three new starters — Wade, Rose and Jae Crowder. It’s four if you count Love’s move from power forward to center that sent Tristan Thompson to the bench. Lue must also smooth egos and manage minutes.
He must do all that despite the fact that James played only one game in the preseason and practiced little after spraining his left ankle on Sept. 27. The spacing of the first unit was so poor on Tuesday that Lue put in four new sets six days before the opener.
As the Cavs learn to play together, their starting lineup will change again when Thomas returns, likely in December. Building chemistry will take time.
“I don’t think we’ll be the team we want to be in a week,” James said Tuesday. “It’s going to be for the whole season. We’re going to have changes, we’re going to make changes, we’re going to become a better team as the games go on. The team opening night will not be the team that we know we can be.”
James came to camp reinvigorated, saying he was inspired by watching the AAU games of his 10- and 12-year-old sons. His team- mates noticed. Lue noticed.
“Something was just different,” James said. “Hopefully I’ll put it out on the floor.”
Sm i th said James was “driven,” calling to wake him at 6:30 a.m. this summer as he was leaving to work out. James’ ankle injury was a rude interruption, but that motivation is surely still there. Last month, James also seemed happy and at peace with whatever the future brings.
The Cavs may not look like a championship contender in November or December, but no matter. It’s more important that they have developed cohesion and can hone their offense and defense in March, April and May.
This season may test the patience of Lue, of his players, of Gilbert, of the fans. But when he arrived for training camp, James looked like he sensed something special. A long but satisfying wait could be in store.