Cavaliers Must Pivot Quickly In The Wake of the LeBron News

News broke this morning of LeBron James signing a two-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. This comes after weeks of speculation, rumors, social media posts, and even NBA commissioner Adam Silver urging James to make a decision. James joins a Philadelphia squad that shook up the NBA landscape by trading for Celtics star Jaylen Brown earlier this summer. They also featured the likes of former MVP Joel Embiid, all-NBA guard Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe. The Cavaliers will now be forced to look elsewhere for help on the wing.

After a flurry of moves in the first few days of free agency, the NBA transaction wire has mostly been quiet since the beginning of July. James Harden is still in need of an extension, but that will likely happen soon now. One name to keep an eye on in the wake of James signing with the 76ers is Jonathan Kuminga. Kuminga is an unrestricted free agent after the Hawks declined his $24.3 million team option.

I think Kuminga would be a good fit on this Cavaliers squad if he is interested in taking less money in exchange for a larger role. He has experience playing under Kenny Atkinson, as Atkinson was a Warriors assistant coach from 2021-2024. Kuminga could immediately slot into the Cavaliers lineup as either a starter or sixth man.

Kuminga showed during the 2023-2024 season with the Warriors that he can produce if given a larger role. He started 46 games and averaged over 16 points per game on over 50% shooting from the field. Kuminga spent the last few years in and out of Steve Kerr’s doghouse. While Kuminga is not a good three-point shooter, he is effective at attacking the basket and could be a good fit playing alongside James Harden and Donovan Mitchell.

While missing out on LeBron is a disappointment, the Cavaliers can now explore other options. The contracts of both Dennis Schroder and Max Strus could end up being valuable trade chips to re-tool the roster. There are also free agents besides Kuminga that could help. DeMar DeRozan and Bruce Brown Jr. could be on the Cavaliers’ radar. DeRozan would have to accept less money, but coming off several large contracts, he may be willing to do so at this stage in his career for a chance to win.

Regardless, we will probably see more player movement in the wake of the LeBron signing. I am sure most Cleveland fans would have liked to see James come home and finish his career in Cleveland, but that will not be the case. Hopefully, general manager Koby Altman has a contingency plan in place and is able to land the wing help the Cavaliers need to compete for a championship in 2026-2027.