What The Celtics' Championship Means For The Cavaliers

The Celtics' title should make the Cavaliers stop and think heading into the summer.

May 9, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) passes the ball against Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) and guard Derrick White (9) 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 Boston Celtics captured their 18th NBA championship on Monday night, defeating the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the NBA Finals. To get there, the Celtics had to go through the Cleveland Cavaliers, who they dispatched in a five-game second-round playoff series.

So, what exactly does Boston's championship mean for Cleveland going forward?

Well, here's the thing: the Celtics are going to be tough to beat. Their top six is quite easily the best group in basketball, and it's going to take a monumental effort from any team to best them in a seven-game series.

But do the Cavs have the nucleus to potentially get it done?

Perhaps.

The Cavaliers have a very nice quartet of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. Sure, there has been some talk that Cleveland may attempt to split up the Mitchell-Garland duo, but that appears to be more fan conjecture than a potential reality.

How can the Cavs add to that core?

Of course, the Cavs need to get their search for a head coach sorted out before doing anything else this offseason, as they fired J.B. Bickerstaff. But we can at least speculate on how they are going to round out their roster to give them a better chance of competing with the Celtics.

The problem for the Cavaliers is that they won't exactly have a ton of money available to pursue big-time free agents, but if they can stay below the second luxury tax apron (which they currently are), they will have some flexibility to make trades.

Cleveland doesn't have any glaring holes, but it did rank 20th in offensive efficiency this season and could stand to add another wing who can put the ball in the cup. The Cavs could use some shooters, too.

Here's the thing, though: the Cavaliers also don't want to become the Josh Smith-era Atlanta Hawks, where they make the playoffs every year as a 4 or 5-seed and lose in the first or second round. Not saying that is what their trajectory is, but they do have a long way to go to seriously challenge Boston.

To be fair to the Cavs, so does everyone else in the East. The C's won 64 games during the regular season. The next-closest was the New York Knicks, who won 50.

Essentially, the Cavaliers need to be careful here. They absolutely cannot saddle themselves with bad contracts, nor can they afford to be haphazard in team building. The Celtics could end up becoming a Golden State Warriors-type dynasty. Their guys are still young, and they are all under contract. They aren't going anywhere, and Cleveland must be mindful of this as it approaches the offseason.

That means adding guys on relatively cheap, short-term deals, whether that comes via free agency or trade. The Cavs shouldn't just aim for another star player. They should construct their roster to best suit Mitchell, who somewhat quietly had a terrific year (his playmaking in particular has improved).

Look how the Celtics built their team. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are homegrown. Derrick White was the result of a shrewd trade deadline deal two years ago. They swiped Jrue Holiday when the Milwaukee Bucks misguidedly decided Damian Lillard was the better fit. They bit the bullet and traded the former heart-and-soul of their squad in Marcus Smart for Kristaps Porzingis last summer. Heck, even re-acquiring Al Horford in the summer of 2021 was a low-key move given where Horford appeared to stand at the time.

Boston's championship was the product of patience, prudence and perspicacity, and those are three P's that the Cavaliers need to employ this offseason and in the coming years.

So long as the Cavs can convince Mitchell that they are on the right track. they could build something special over the next several years.