The Rifts In The Cavs Organization Could End The LeBron James Era In Cleveland
This mid-season slump for the Cavs isn’t the same as we’ve seen from them before. The Cavs have been no stranger to locker room drama since LeBron’s return in 2014, but the divide between the players themselves and the front office appears larger now than ever before. There seems to be no end in sight for the constant bickering, finger pointing and trash talking behind each other’s backs.
Even with this fact, the Cavs are still the favorites to win the Eastern Conference in my eyes. They’ll continue to be the favorites no matter how bad they look, barring a season-ending injury to LeBron James. Winning the East again isn’t the goal for anyone; it’s winning another title. With how bad the Cavs defense has been this season, I don’t see how the team could even win a game against the Warriors or Rockets in the finals, let alone a whole series.
I’ll be honest, I haven’t seen a feasible trade scenario presented that would even put the Cavs in the same realm as Houston or Golden State. Both those teams are just too talented and the Cavs don’t have enough viable assets to bring in what they need to compete against them. Maybe if they had been able to pull off a trade for DeMarcus Cousins, but it never sounded like he was on the trading block and now he’s out with a ruptured Achilles anyway.
A trade for DeAndre Jordon would be a step in the right direction. He would add the rim protection they’ve severely lacked all season. But, if the rumor is true that the Clippers want to make a push for LeBron in free agency, it wouldn’t make sense for them to make a trade that would improve the Cavs. Especially for an old JR Smith, an overpriced Tristan Thompson and a late first-round draft pick, which hardly ever pan out in the NBA.
So, with the situation looking dire as ever on the court, no real answer out there on the trade market and a disheveled locker room all combined with the large rift that has always existed between Dan Gilbert and LeBron James, does this mean the end of LeBron James in Cleveland Round Two? All anyone can do is guess at this point. If there’s one thing that you can guarantee for a LeBron free agency, it’s that you won’t know what he’s actually thinking until he announces his decision.
Cleveland is LeBron’s home and will be forever, regardless of what he decides to do this summer. He promised a championship and he delivered. As we’ve seen with him before, he won’t stay here solely based on his love for the city. If the Cavs aren’t going to win another title this season, then the priority should be keeping LeBron on the team until he retires. That won’t happen if the ownership, front office and players all continue to be at each other’s throats. These off the court issues must be fixed if the Cavs want any chance at keeping LeBron in Cleveland for the rest of his career.
