Grading The Cleveland Cavaliers' 2024 NBA Offseason So Far

What should we make of what the Cleveland Cavaliers have done thus far this offseason?

May 9, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts after a basket buy forward Evan Mobley (4) against the Boston Celtics in the first quarter during game two of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers have not exactly been very active this offseason when it comes to adding pieces to their roster, but they have taken care of a couple of major in-house responsibilities.

First, the Cavaliers extended Donovan Mitchell, handing him a three-year deal (which is really a two-year deal with a player option for the third season).

They then struck a long-term pact with Evan Mobley, giving Cleveland three max contracts on its roster (Darius Garland is the other).

Otherwise, the Cavs made a head-coaching change, firing J.B. Bickerstaff and replacing him with Kenny Atkinson. They also selected University of California wing Jaylon Tyson with the 20th overall pick of the NBA Draft.

But have the Cavaliers truly taken care of business this summer?

Let me start by saying that locking up both Mitchell and Mobley is huge.

There weren't many who expected Mitchell to opt to remain in Cleveland for the long haul when the Cavs first acquired him in 2022. Those voices grew even louder after the Cavaliers were eliminated from the second round of the playoffs this past May.

But Mitchell proved the naysayers wrong by inking an extension with Cleveland. Of course, a timer is still attached to it, as Mitchell can bolt during the summer of 2027, but it at least gives the Cavs a window to put together a legitimate contender around Mitchell.

Extending Mobley was big, too. Did the Cavaliers overpay for his production? Up until this point, maybe, but Cleveland is really paying Mobley for what it hopes he can become rather than what he already is.

There is no question that Mobley needs to improve his offensive repertoire, and hopefully, he can do that this coming season. Regardless, the Cavs were smart to prevent him from reaching free agency, particularly given the value he brings on the defensive end.

So, yes. Ensuring that Mitchell and Mobley will remain part of the core is significant.

The problem, though, is that the Cavaliers haven't really addressed their major roster needs at all this offseason.

Cleveland's two biggest holes were a lack of a long, three-and-D wing and a floor-spacing big man. In fairness, the Cavs did select Tyson, but as brilliant as he looked in Summer League, it's just tough to rely on a rookie.

The Cavaliers can still swing a trade for someone like Brooklyn Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith, but nothing concrete seems to have manifested on that end.

Cleveland has its own restricted free agent in Isaac Okoro to use as trade bait, but based on the lack of interest in Okoro on the open market, it seems hard to imagine that he has much trade value.

So while there is still time for the Cavs to acquire another wing (or maybe another big), the market has largely dried up, and it's becoming less and less likely that the Cavaliers will be able to fill those gaps.

It's also looking like Garland will begin the season in Cleveland, as the Cavs rebuffed trade advances from the San Antonio Spurs and have not appeared to be discussing him with any other teams.

That could be a direct result of Garland's value evidently being down around the league, or it could mean that Cleveland truly wants to give the Mitchell-Garland pairing another shot.

It really doesn't help the Cavs' case that Eastern Conference rivals have made moves in an attempt to improve around them, with the New York Knicks (Mikal Bridges), Philadelphia 76ers (Paul George) and Orlando Magic (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope) all making significant additions.

Whether or not the Knicks will actually be better by bringing in Bridges and losing Isaiah Hartenstein to free agency in the process remains to be seen, and I have my doubts about George in Philadelphia. But, at the very least, those squads made an effort to shake things up, something the Cavaliers have not done this summer.

As of right now, Cleveland is no better than a top-five team in the East on paper (the Boston Celtics, Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks and 76ers all look better), and a legitimate argument can be made for the Cavs being as low as seventh behind the Magic and Indiana Pacers.

To be fair to the Cavaliers, they did enter the offseason with considerable financial restrictions, but so did just about everyone else in the NBA. We can only give Cleveland's front office so much of a pass for refusing to spend.

There is no question that the extensions for Mitchell and Mobley saved the Cavs' offseason, and I actually do like bringing in Atkinson as head coach (especially considering he had success with Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert in Brooklyn).

But overall, it's hard for me to get too excited about the total package for the Cavaliers.

Offseason grade: B-