The Cleveland Cavaliers have been looking to build their identity in the NBA without LeBron James for quite some time, but they have been unable to do so the last few seasons since he departed for Los Angeles.
Constantly stockpiling draft picks and high-level prospects, GM Koby Altman and the Cavaliers’ front-office have quietly been building something special in Cleveland and now this season, we are starting to get glimpses of what the future holds for this franchise.
Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio may be done for the year with knee injuries, but Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Lauri Markkanen have all stepped up tremendously this season to elevate the Cavaliers to 27-19 to this point in the season, good enough to be the 6-seed in the Eastern Conference.
With just 6.5 games separating the 1-seed and the 10-seed in the East, almost every team in this conference is going to be jockeying back-and-forth in the standings, but the Cavaliers truly are a threat this season. Maybe they are not a “title contending threat,” but this team is legit and they have arguably the best young core in the league.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Should Wizards Worry About Bradley Beal Entering Free Agency?
Garland, Mobley, Allen and Markkanen are all 24-years-old or younger and with other impactful and growing talents on their roster, this season is proving that the Cavaliers can have a real identity in this league without LeBron James.
However, this team still needs a proven leader if they are to take the next step from “playoff threat” to “championship threat”. The Cavaliers are good, but in order for them to be great, they are going to need to add a high-level All-Star at some point.
The upcoming contract situation of Collin Sexton and Kevin Love still being under contract through next season could make things difficult for Cleveland in terms of finding this All-Star talent immediately, but Bradley Beal could certainly be a franchise-altering talent for the Cavaliers.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Should Wizards Worry About Bradley Beal Entering Free Agency?
Beal is now in his 10th season in the league with the Washington Wizards, but time-and-time again, the Wizards have looked to rebuild around him. Being 28-years-old and in the prime of his career now, it does seem like Bradley Beal’s talent is being wasted, which is why he could begin having second-thoughts about his future.
Always remaining loyal to the Wizards through the years, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported recently that Beal is not going to be signing a contract extension, citing that the All-Star shooting guard has “made this clear” to Washington.
Could Bradley Beal be available in trade talks leading up to this season’s trade deadline in three weeks? Let’s take a look at a trade proposal put together by Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley that sends Beal to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
