Why the Cleveland Cavaliers Blew It This Offseason

Not only does Cleveland have a superstar-in-the-making in the form of Kyrie Irving, but it had plenty of money to fill some pressing needs. But then came the NBA draft, and it was all downhill from there.

Like it or not, the Cavaliers reached by selecting Dion Waiters with the fourth overall pick. Sure, he’s a solid scorer with great hands on the defensive end, but that’s all he is, right now anyway.

That’s not even my biggest qualm about Cleveland’s offseason thus far, though. The Cavaliers had over $10 million in cap space to utilize, to make a run at a premiere free agent, but they struck out. Actually, strike that, they didn’t even step up to bat.

The most noise Cleveland has made all summer entailed the facilitation of a Dwight Howard trade. While that’s plenty to be excited about had it involved Howard himself landing in a Cavs jersey, it didn’t. And it never will, nor will the Cavaliers improve by leaps and bounds—or even slight traces—next season if they’re not willing to actively attempt to get better.

Now, I’m not going to sit here and claim Cleveland sat around while other teams scooped up this year’s top free agents, but I will call the Cavs out on their discouraging efforts. Had they at least made it evident they were chasing a proven wing or big man, or anyone of significant value at all, they’d have my respect and maybe even my sympathies. Instead, though, they have nothing.

This summer, Cleveland re-signed Luke Harangody and claimed Jon Leuer off waivers. With the exceptions of the Cavs’ drafts picks, there have been no other new additions. And while continuity is of the utmost of importance, it should become less of a priority for a team that finished tied for the third worst record in the league last year.

Irving has provided the Cavaliers with a life after LeBron James, with a new beginning. But it means nothing if they aren’t prepared to take advantage of it.

Building a contender—or even transforming an organization into a relevant entity—takes time, and plenty of patience. But it takes impulse and drive as well, much more so than it does patience.

The Cavaliers are not championship contenders as is. They’re not postseason-bound either. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if they wound up deeper in the NBA’s basement than last year, next season.

And the fact that such a notion can be justified is a damn shame. Not because Cleveland is still lamenting the loss of James, not because it’s tough to watch a loyal fanbase endure an era of losing, and not because the Cavaliers are a hopeless team. But because they had an opportunity to reverse such misfortunes, bury the bad memories deeper in the past and make a name for themselves as a legitimate player competitor.

The Cavaliers blew it instead, though. Now, they’re staring down the barrel of another season in which they’ll attempt to contend for not a championship, but the right to classify themselves as mediocre.

And at this point, given their current roster and ill-advised penchant for inactivity, even that’s a stretch.