The Cleveland Cavaliers' front office could look to make a huge foundational change after a truly disappointing ending to their season.
As the Cleveland Cavaliers dominated their way through the regular season en route to a historic year, no one expected them to lose in the second round of the NBA Playoffs at the hands of a 5th seed. Nevertheless, after that epic playoff disaster, the front office could be forced to make an even bigger mistake. According to a recent report, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen are no longer considered untouchable pieces of Cleveland's build. While they may not be likely to be traded this summer, that's no longer off the table with the way the Cavs disappointed in the postseason.
Even though I don't believe the Cavs should make such a rash move, it's also not a possibility that should be completely off the table. And it shouldn't be. All due respect to the Indiana Pacers and the great run they've been on, but Cleveland shouldn't have lost to them in the second round of the playoffs. That's not an excuse; that's the simple truth.
The Pacers were just playing better basketball when the playoffs rolled around, and the Cavs, in many respects, peaked too early this season. It also didn't help that they were dealing with some untimely injuries to some of their key players.
The danger in running it back for the Cleveland Cavaliers
Nevertheless, the Cavs must figure out whether running it back next season is the right move. In theory, it may seem like the right path to take, especially with all the uncertainty that revolves around the Eastern Conference moving forward. However, the Cavs would be making a pretty dangerous risk.
The last thing the Cavs need is to waste another season with this core if they're not good enough to win a championship. I'm not sure they aren't. If the regular season is any indication, the argument could be made that they're close. However, the playoff success just hasn't been there for the Cavs.
For the past two years, Cleveland has flamed out or run out of gas in the second round. It could be part of their developmental road to a championship, or it could point to a bigger issue that may be present with this team's build. That's the big question the Cavs' front office has to solve this summer.
Cleveland seemingly went all-in on this core, and it landed them in the very same place as last year: losing in the second round of the NBA Playoffs. Considering the aspirations this team had when the postseason began, the Cavs can't be happy with where they stand as a franchise. If the whispers are true and this summer could offer plenty of fireworks in the way of player movement across the NBA, you can't help but wonder where the Cavs could land in all that.
I wouldn't expect the Cavs to make such a rash foundational-changing move this offseason, but nothing can be off the table considering this team has still not accomplished much with the core as it stands. Maybe it's time for the Cavs to make a big move. Maybe it's not. Time will tell what the franchise believes. One thing is for sure: if the Cavs' front office were to pursue such a move, in trading Garland or Allen, it would certainly change the entire DNA of this franchise.