Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers may stay in the state of Ohio when it comes to the No. 5 overall pick of the 2020 NBA draft.

According to Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated, Dayton's Obi Toppin is "in the mix for the Cavs at No. 5." Woo pointed to Toppin's ability to "contribute immediately and supply energy to a locker room searching for a collective identity" and provide enough of a scoring spark to overcome the defensive concerns that come with his game.

Woo also noted Toppin, 22, would be the oldest top-five pick since the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Syracuse's Wesley Johnson with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2010 draft.

That may be another reason for hesitation, but Toppin fits in with Cleveland's personnel as it rebuilds with an eye on the future.

Collin Sexton, Darius Garland and Kevin Porter Jr. are all young guards, and Toppin wouldn't significantly cut into any of their playing time as a stretch forward. He is also someone who can extend his game beyond the three-point line (41.7 percent from deep in his collegiate career) and take advantage of the spacing created when any of those three perimeter playmakers attack.

Toppin is coming off a dominant final season at Dayton as the Associated Press Player of the Year, Naismith Award winner, Wooden Award winner and Atlantic-10 Player of the Year who averaged 20.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.0 steals per game.

Had the NCAA tournament not been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, his Flyers likely would have been a No. 1 seed. 

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected the Detroit Pistons to take Toppin at No. 7 overall in his most recent mock draft with Cleveland selecting Deni Avdija at No. 5.

Cleveland Cavaliers star Kevin Love penned an essay for The Players' Tribune detailing his mental health struggles and a particularly difficult period he experienced during the 2012-13 NBA season. 

Love explained how from an early point in life his "self-worth was all about performing," with basketball serving as one outlet.

"When I wasn't performing, I didn't feel like I was succeeding as a person," he said.

As a result, the 2012-13 campaign was tough on him mentally because he was limited to 18 appearances. Without basketball, Love began to feel isolated:

"Five years before the panic attack that everyone knows about, I was probably in the darkest period of my life. I'd only played 18 games with the Timberwolves that season, breaking my right hand twice, and that was when this whole … I guess you'd call it a facade or a character that I had sort of built up …. it all started crumbling. I was in a cast. My identity was gone. My emotional outlet was gone. All I was left with was me and my mind. I was living alone at the time, and my social anxiety was so bad that I never even left my apartment. Actually, I would rarely even leave my bedroom. I would have the shades down most of the day, no lights on, no TV, nothing. It felt like I was on a deserted island by myself, and it was always midnight. 

"Just … dark. Dark and alone with my thoughts. Every. Single. Day.

"And I want to make it clear that I know how fortunate I was, compared to most people. I knew then and I know now. I didn't have to worry about my bills, or kids, or anything like that. But none of that mattered. My whole sense of purpose was tied to my job, and with that gone, every little thing that went wrong, no matter how small, just started compounding and compounding."

The five-time All-Star said he was "simply paralyzed with depression" and that almost nobody around him was aware of the problem because he never addressed it. Left feeling alone, Love began to wonder whether things would ever get better:

"The future started to feel meaningless. And when it gets to the point where you lose hope, that's when the only thing you can think about is, 'How can I make this pain go away?'

"I don't think I have to say much more than that."

Love said he wanted to recount his story to show others how important it is to reach out to friends or loved ones while experiencing issues related to mental health:

"If you're struggling right now, I can't tell you that this is going to be easy. But I can tell you that it does get better. And I can tell you that you are definitely not alone."

Love admitted he still has moments in which he questions his self-worth, but coming to terms with his mental health and getting the right help has allowed him to feel more comfortable with himself. He also said that he attends therapy and takes medication.

The 12-year veteran first said in March 2018 he experienced a panic attack during a game against the Atlanta Hawks earlier in the fall. He has since been a vocal advocate on matters of mental health.

          

If you or someone you know is in immediate crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 for 24/7 access to a trained counselor. You can also contact the Crisis Text Line by texting "HOME" to 741741. For more information about ongoing support and mental health resources, contact the HelpLine at the National Alliance on Mental Illness by calling 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or emailing info@nami.org.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and center Tristan Thompson had been rumored to be parting ways for months before the 2019-20 trade deadline in February, but Thompson stayed in town through the end of his five-year, $82 million contract that expired this season. 

However, a reunion could be in the mix for the free-agent big man and the Cavs, who drafted the ex-Texas star fourth overall in 2011.

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com provided the following report Friday: "Over the last few months, the Cavs' odds of keeping Thompson have increased—even if slightly. They also own his Bird rights, allowing them to pay a tick more than the mid-level while also staying out of the tax. That would seem to satisfy both sides."

Fedor also quoted a league source close to Thompson who said: "I believe there's a chance of him re-signing in free agency. He hasn't necessarily played his final game there."

Another source called a Thompson return a "50-50" proposition and said both sides are interested in a deal.

"The Cavs recognize his value, both on and off the floor," Fedor wrote. "They were impressed with his attitude, especially following Drummond's arrival that booted Thompson out of the starting lineup. They've heard the calls from Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr. and other teammates about bringing Thompson back."

Thompson, 29, has played nine NBA seasons, all in the burgundy and gold. He averaged a double-double for the second straight year in 2019-20 by posting 12.0 points on 51.2 percent shooting and 10.1 rebounds per game. Thompson started 51 of his 57 games for the Cavs last year.

The center was on all four of the Cavs' Eastern Conference championship teams from 2015-2018, including the 2016 NBA Finals-title winning squad that took down the Golden State Warriors, who earned the league's all-time best regular-season record at 73-9.

It's clear how beloved Thompson is among his teammates, as Fedor mentioned, with Cavs star forward Kevin Love sending this tweet in August:

Tristan Thompson should be our #1 priority. Leader.

— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) August 18, 2020

Love, a five-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA team member, has been Thompson's frontcourt mate since arriving in Cleveland in 2014.

The Cavs are looking to rebound from a 19-46 season that saw the firing of first-year head coach John Beilein in mid-February.

Cleveland closed the year stronger under interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff, going 5-6. Bickerstaff will lead the Cavs into the 2020-21 season as their head coach.

While Giannis Antetokounmpo was named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year Tuesday night, the voting breakdown was also notable as Andre Drummond earned one first-place vote. 

The other first-place votes went to Anthony Davis, Rudy Gobert, Ben Simmons, Bam Adebayo and Patrick Beverley.

Here are the full DPOY voting results ... pic.twitter.com/cSPU60aNRq

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 25, 2020

Greg Logan of Newsday had announced earlier this month he had vote for Drummond, filling out his ballot with Hassan Whiteside in second and Antetokounmpo third.

Drummond spent the 2019-20 season split between the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging a combined 17.7 points, 1.9 steals, 1.6 blocks and a league-high 15.2 rebounds per game.

He finished third in the NBA in steals per game and was the only player in the league ranking in the top 10 in both steals and blocks.

Logan also referenced Player Efficiency Rating, which has Drummond ranked 18th in the NBA.

Drummond has consistently been among the top rebounders and shot-blockers in basketball since entering the league in 2012, but he has never made an All-Defensive team in his career.

Despite his value, he is clearly behind Antetokounmpo, who can guard every position on the floor at 6'11". He finished the year leading the league in defensive win shares, defensive rating and defensive box plus-minus, per Basketball Reference.

The reigning MVP was a key reason the Milwaukee Bucks ranked No. 1 in defensive rating while producing the best record in the NBA.

Neither the Pistons nor the Cavaliers finished the year inside the top 20 in defense. Adding in Drummond's inconsistency on that end of the court, there was significant blowback when the vote was released:

Whomever voted Andre Drummond for DPOY needs to never get a ballot again. Especially if it's also the person who had Whiteside second.

— John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) August 25, 2020

The NBA did a nice job trimming down the voting pool to try to get rid of wasted votes. The fact that there were only 2 is pretty good. But Drummond's defense is patently mediocre and he literally got salary dumped this year. Whiteside makes 4 mistakes for every 1 block.

— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) August 25, 2020

I apologize if this has been addressed, but ....

ANDRE DRUMMOND?!?! https://t.co/JSco8FGOM6

— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) August 25, 2020

While voters have different opinions about what matters in each contest, the Drummond vote certainly raised question marks.

Thursday marks the unofficial start of the 2020-21 season for the Cleveland Cavaliers, as the organization will learn where it will make its first pick in the NBA draft. 

The Cavs are tied with the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves with the best odds to land the No. 1 overall pick (14 percent) in the NBA draft lottery. 

Winning the lottery this year would mark the fourth time since 2011 that Cleveland has picked first overall. The previous results have been a mixed bag.

Kyrie Irving (2011) was instrumental in helping the franchise win an NBA championship in the 2015-16 season. Andrew Wiggins (2014) was included in the trade package for Kevin Love, who also played a key role on that title team. Anthony Bennett (2013) is one of the biggest draft busts in history. 

Here are the latest rumors involving the Cavaliers leading up to Thursday's lottery (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). 

    

Cavs Keeping an Eye on Ben Simmons

As the Philadelphia 76ers have sputtered through their first two postseason games, the future direction of the franchise looks very much uncertain right now. 

One rumor that has been making the rounds for a while now is that Cleveland is looking at the possibility of trading for Ben Simmons. 

Per Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor, the Cavs "believe they have enough to assemble an enticing package" to offer the Sixers for their All-Star point guard. 

Fedor specifically cites "recent first-rounders" already on the roster, the lottery pick this year guaranteed to be in the top six and a future first-round pick from the Milwaukee Bucks stemming from a 2018 trade that also involved the Washington Wizards. 

Philadelphia's postseason shortcomings against the Boston Celtics have come without Simmons, who suffered a knee injury that required surgery on Aug. 10. 

ESPN's Tim Bontemps reported in February that Embiid is "more likely to be moved" than Simmons if the Sixers don't make a deep playoff run. 

Bontemps cited Embiid's durability concerns, though Simmons' recent back and knee issues could call into his question his long-term viability. 

Cleveland desperately needs a franchise cornerstone to build around. Collin Sexton has made strides as a scorer in his two NBA seasons, but he also averaged 3.9 assists and 2.6 turnovers per game in 2019-20. 

Simmons would give the Cavaliers a dynamic point guard who is an excellent playmaker on offense and elite defender. 

Since the 76ers are in win-now mode with their roster, Cleveland's potential trade package might not fit the organization's current plans. But an early postseason exit could force Philadelphia to dramatically alter its approach. 

     

Clarkson Settles into New Home

The Cavaliers got an early start on trades during the 2019-20 season by dealing Jordan Clarkson to the Utah Jazz on Dec. 24. 

Cleveland received Dante Exum and two future second-round draft picks in return. 

Clarkson had carved out a solid role off the bench during his two-plus seasons with the Cavs. He averaged 15.5 points per game and was shooting 37.1 percent from three this season before the trade.

Still, going from a team that wasn't competing for a playoff spot to a Jazz squad right in the thick of the Western Conference postseason race did represent an upgrade for Clarkson. It turns out, he's had no problem acclimating well to his new home. 

"Clarkson was happy that the Cavs traded him to the Jazz this season but apprehensive about what he might find there, and he’s loved the experience, too," per The Athletic's Joe Vardon.

Clarkson is in the final year of a four-year, $50 million extension he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in July 2016. There was no reason for the Cavs to pay his $13.4 million this season given the state of their roster. 

Vardon noted the entire Jazz organization "loves" Clarkson, with one person calling him the "realest motherf--ker we have."

Even though it wasn't a blockbuster deal, it did benefit both organizations. Cleveland saved money, and Exum played well in a limited role off the bench, shooting 35.1 percent on three-pointers in 24 games. 

Clarkson was Utah's third-leading scorer during the regular season with 15.6 points per game. Only Donovan Mitchell (24.0 points per game) and Bojan Bogdanovic (20.2) scored more for the Jazz.  

If Kevin Love's opinion holds any weight, the Cleveland Cavaliers will attempt to keep Tristan Thompson next season.

The five-time All-Star tweeted that retaining Thompson should be the Cavs' top priority:

Tristan Thompson should be our #1 priority. Leader.

— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) August 18, 2020

Love has been teammates with Thompson since the 2014-15 season. Along with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, they were key pieces of the Cavaliers' championship squad in 2015-16.

Thompson can become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career this offseason. The 29-year-old had an extended restricted free agency in the summer of 2015 before signing a five-year, $82 million extension with Cleveland in October.

Even though nothing is official until free agency begins, the Cavs seemed to signal their future direction at center when they acquired Andre Drummond from the Detroit Pistons in February.

Drummond and Thompson share similar styles of play, and Drummond has already said he plans to use his $28.7 million player option for next season.

Cleveland has $110.7 million in salary on the books for 2020-21 with Drummond's player option factored in, per Basketball Reference. It wouldn't seem to make much sense for a rebuilding franchise to continue adding salary for a season in which it's not expected to compete for a playoff spot.

Thompson averaged a career-high 12.0 points and 10.1 rebounds in 57 games during the 2019-20 season, though he doesn't offer three-point range or much shot-blocking and is undersized at 6'9".

The NBA is finally back, with the season resuming Thursday at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

To coincide with basketball's return, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Larry Nance Jr. stopped by with B/R for an AMA session with fans. The five-year veteran discussed his experiences with LeBron James, the direction of the Cavs and having a front-row seat for Kobe Bryant's final game with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The following is the full transcript from the AMA session. 

              

@DekeGeke: What's your favorite on-court story?

My favorite is the obvious, being a part of Kobe's 60-point night was ridiculously cool. That's something I'll never forget. Playing 30 minutes in that game is something I can't imagine topping. He brings us back, makes his free throws. Next, we get a defensive stop and he throws the ball down to JC for a dunk. Then I was the first one to run back down the court and hug him. That was a super cool moment between us and that's a moment I'll have forever.

                

@JCForTheWin: What do you remember from your time with the Lakers?

The fans. The fans give the team such an incredible platform. You couldn't go anywhere without seeing bumper stickers, flags out of cars. My biggest thing I miss the most is the fans.

            

@chandler24512: What was it like playing with LeBron?

For me it was just, he is the ultimate leader. First in the gym, last to leave. Leading by example. He was all of that. You could try to beat him to the gym and you just couldn't. Just his leadership and the way he carries himself is really what makes me think he is the best player ever.

           

@BayLegend: Who do you think is the greatest NBA player of all time?

Oh gosh I hate this question. For me the greatest player is LeBron. The best I've seen with my two eyes.

            

@Bills2021champs: Do you think the Cavs are going in the right direction?

I am certain we are heading in the right direction. I think J.B. is the right guy for the job, I'm confident in the guys we've drafted.

                

@VodVanzo: Who do you want to see the Cavs add in the draft?

I'm so naive on the draft this year, it's hard to pay attention to. I do know from watching I'm a huge fan of LaMelo, I love his play style basketball IQ. I personally have nothing but good things to say about that family.

             

Lakers are a team you obviously played for, what do you think they need to do to have a chance to go deep in the playoffs this year?

The biggest thing for them is making sure you have that 3rd option every night. Bron is gonna be Bron, AD is going to be AD. That's a given. Whether it's Kuzma or JR, you just need to have a third option.

              

@thatguy827: What's been your favorite dunk you pulled off in an NBA game?

The one in Brooklyn on Brook Lopez. The slo-mo and the stills are pretty ridiculous, not to be biased but that's my favorite.

               

@MrNoLa31: Who do you want to dunk on that you haven't yet?

There is one answer for this. Zubac. I want to get him so bad. He is one of my good friends, so if I could have it I would never let him forget. I tell him every time I'm going to get you.

            

@BenGOATTerwhite: How did you feel when you were robbed in the Dunk Contest by Donovan Mitchell?

I felt like I deserved another one, at least a tie for the dunk off. If there was someone I was going to lose to, Donovan was certainly a good dude to have a trophy. But I'm never doing it again no, blame DJ Khaled. 

For me it was a weird experience, I had just been traded back to Cleveland and then go back to LA. I had dunks I was going to do as a Laker so I had to switch it up. The whole idea of it is really cool but I'm done.

           

@Jasper_Pail: What's the funniest moment of your career?

My rookie year Christmas day game against the Clippers. Random shot came off the rim but I tried to rebound it way over my head with one hand. I almost had it but it slipped out of my hands and went back right into the hoop. It wasn't funny in the moment, I was getting all the hate on Twitter and the memes. But after the fact it was worth it.

                

@Kingforthewin3: What was it like growing up for an NBA father?

Awesome. The access i got to be around the NBA, to see these real life superheroes in front of me. One of my earliest memories of basketball was when the Cavs won a game with Shaq and Bron. Now being a bunch years later and share that court with LeBron, it's pretty special.

             

@Jalen_H7: Who is the hardest NBA player to guard?

I would say I've been lit up twice in my career. The first was melo in NY. He was a monster when he gets going, he gave me the business as a rookie in ny. DeMarcus cousins gave me the business too. Those are the two that gave me the hardest time. The obvious is KD too, nobody can guard him.

            

@SportFanBeast: Favorite movie?

That's a good one. I haven't had to think about this in a long time. Of all time? The movie I've watched the most, I really love American sniper. Saving Private Ryan. I like war movies so I'll go with those.

                

@Coco9: What's your favorite place to eat in Cleveland?

If I'm taking my wife out, it's Marble room. Swensons is my go to as well.

             

@ChickfilAisbetta: Chick-fil-A or Popeyes?

I'm a Chick-fil-A guy. For me it's the deluxe. The chicken sandwich but the cheese on it puts it over the top.

Cleveland Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson has placed his seven-bedroom, 10,000-square foot mansion in Encino, California, on the market for $8.5 million.

TMZ Sports reported the 29-year-old bought the house for $6.5 million last year after a breakup with 36-year-old reality television star Khloe Kardashian.

His decision comes as the former couple, who have a two-year-old daughter together, are "giving their relationship another try," per Gabrielle Chung of People.

The home features 7.5 bathrooms, a pool, an outdoor kitchen, a marble fireplace, a movie theater and a two-bedroom guest house in the backyard, according to TMZ.

Cleveland owned the worst record (19-46) in the Eastern Conference when the 2019-20 NBA season was halted March 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic. It wasn't one of the 22 teams included in the league's restart plans at the Disney World complex in Orlando, Florida.

The 6'9" forward/center averaged 12.0 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 51.2 percent in 57 appearances for the Cavs this season. His 25 double-doubles ranked 17th in the NBA.

The 29-year-old Toronto native is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.

Kevin Love has spent six seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he's signed through the end of the 2022-23 season. However, it's not a guarantee that he'll be there until the end of that contract.

The Cavaliers are likely still several years away from being a contender in the Eastern Conference, at least. They have some talented young guards on their roster and acquired center Andre Drummond in a trade with the Detroit Pistons earlier this season. Plus, they'll continue to add young talent through the draft. So, does Love fit into Cleveland's plans?

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com recently wrote that the Cavaliers "still want him around" and think he'll be a "positive influence" during their rebuild. However, it's also possible they would struggle to trade him right now even if they wanted to.

"The league sees him in a different way—an oft-injured 31-year-old forward with a bloated contract whose best basketball is in the past and may become unhappy in certain situations," Fedor wrote. "The trade offers have reflected that. Until his value, league-wide and internally, more closely aligns, it's hard to see a trade."

The Athletic's Seth Partnow also doesn't believe the Cavs are likely to trade Love, who is set to make $31.3 million each of the next two seasons and $28.9 million in the final year of his contract in 2022-23.

"The 'trade him for value' ship has to have sailed barring a stunning resurgence," Partnow wrote. "What would the asset cost even be of moving off of that deal? There's no way I would advise that for a team in Cleveland's position."

Although Love is set to turn 32 in September and may not put up the same types of numbers he did early in his career, he's proved he's still a solid player. This season, he averaged 17.6 points and 9.8 rebounds in 56 games. He also stayed healthy after injuries limited him to 22 games in 2018-19.

The Cavaliers aren't among the 22 teams participating in the 2019-20 season restart in Orlando, Florida, so Love will have plenty of time to get ready for 2020-21. It also gives time for Cleveland to determine how it wants to construct its roster around players such as Love before the next season arrives.

It may be unlikely that the Cavs are legitimate NBA title contenders by the end of Love's contract, but it's still a possibility that the rebuild moves along quicker than expected and its young players develop faster. At that point, they'll know they can rely on Love, who won the championship with them in 2016 and knows what it takes to go on a successful playoff run.

If they don't, Love clearly has knowledge he can pass on to the Cavaliers' youngsters to help them in the future.  

When Andre Drummond was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers before the February deadline this year, he knew he wouldn't have long to decide his future. The longtime Detroit Pistons center had a $28.75 million player option for the 2020-21 season, and although he had planned to opt out in Detroit, he found himself on a new team. Still, he figured he would have until May to get a feel for playing on the Cavaliers.

On the court, Drummond immediately posted the kind of numbers that had made him a star in Detroit, totaling 33 points and 29 rebounds in his first two games. But before his third game, Cavaliers coach John Beilein resigned, with the team at 14-40. Yet under interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff, the Cavs found a new energy. They beat bubble-bound teams in the Wizards, Heat, 76ers, Nuggets and Spurs during a respectable 5-6 run. Then the season was suspended.

"I love the game, and despite the record we had in Cleveland, I enjoyed playing with those guys," Drummond told me at the end of April. "Just getting there and having to come to an abrupt stop was kind of shitty for me on my end because I did enjoy playing with them and building that chemistry." 

In the end, Drummond's decision was easy. He might have been able to secure more money overall on a multiyear deal, but that single-season salary, he told ESPN's STUpodity podcast last week, would be "pretty hard to give up." He said he will pick up his option, but building that chemistry remains a concern. The Cavaliers were in the Eastern Conference's cellar when the season was put on hold, and so they were not invited to the NBA's bubble in Orlando, Florida. As a result, they've been one of the loudest clubs lobbying the league to allow the "Delete Eight" teams to play meaningful games over the summer.

"Our front office and leadership has reached out [to the league]," Bickerstaff told reporters in early June. "We've had discussions with the other [seven] teams as coaches try to figure out a way to put something in place so that we can negate that disadvantage as best we possibly can."

For now, the league and the players association stand in the way of any such plans. The potential to be shut out of any meaningful basketball activity for eight-plus months could be costly for a young team like the Cavs. Of all the teams on the outside of the bubble, they may need that extra competition the most.

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30 teams, 30 days: The biggest story from each NBA team ahead of the league's return.

Atl | Bos | Bkn | Cha | Chi | Cle
Dal | Den | Det | GS | Hou | Ind
LAC | LAL | Mem | Mia | Mil | Min
NO | NY | OKC | Orl | Phi | Pho
Por | Sac | SA | Tor | Uta | Was

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Two years ago, they began their second post-LeBron rebuild, but they did so seemingly without a blueprint. In the past two seasons, they've had three head coaches and cycled 20 players on and off their roster. The front office seems content with Bickerstaff as its coach of the future, signing him to a four-year extension in March. But with Drummond surely exercising his option, Bickerstaff and the front office won't have much room to maneuver in free agency. (The Cavs are already over the cap for 2020-21, and it's expected to shrink.) Instead, they'll have to rely on the draft—and on developing their young talent.

"This offseason is a big offseason for us; there are some critical decisions that have to be made," Bickerstaff said. "We know what Kevin Love is, and we know how he can contribute. Larry Nance, Andre Drummond … we know who they are. The difference in who we are is going to be our young guys, so there's a huge emphasis and a focus on pushing them."

Love has been the subject of persistent trade rumors for the past two seasons. But if he stays in Cleveland for another season, he could be part of a formidable veteran frontcourt with Drummond and Nance. (Tristan Thompson, who has been a face of the franchise for a decade, is likely to leave in free agency.)

On the other hand, the Cavs backcourt is a collection of puzzle pieces that may not have come from the same box. In 2018 and 2019, the team drafted two point guards in the lottery: Collin Sexton (eighth overall) and Darius Garland (fifth overall). They may have hoped the pair could form the kind of lead-guard combo lineup that has thrived in Portland and Toronto, but that's not how it played out this season. The time may soon come to decide to pair one of them with the team's other young prospect, swingman Kevin Porter Jr., who offers good length and a promising scoring touch.

The Cavs' plus-minus in Garland and Sexton's 1,255 minutes together was minus-259, per Tony Pesta of Hoops Habit.

The primary problem is neither is an adequate defender. Each is undersized at 6'1", and when they're on the floor together, they seem to worsen each other's weaknesses. According to Basketball Reference, Sexton improved his defensive win shares total from minus-2.5 a season ago to 0.3, but he seemed to struggle the most when he shared the floor with Garland and was forced to defend shooting guards. Garland, for his part, earned 0.0 defensive win shares. As a team, the Cavs were second-to-last in defensive efficiency.

Offensively, they weren't much better, and Cleveland's young backcourt tended to overlap as ball-dominant, score-first guards. Neither boasted an assist-to-turnover ratio above 1.5. Garland's assist numbers did rise toward the end of the season (before he missed time with a groin injury), but that was primarily a result of playing increased minutes. "What we've been working with Darius on is obviously the pick-and-roll game," Bickerstaff said. "Darius has the ability to make all the passes."

Sexton has also struggled as a distributor, but he has at least made up for it by becoming a dynamic scorer from all levels. His offensive prowess was enough to earn him a spot in the Rising Stars Game in February. And in 11 games under Bickerstaff, Sexton surged, averaging 25.5 points on 52.8 percent shooting. "The growth was phenomenal," Bickerstaff said. "And it was something that everybody noticed and appreciated and respected. You could see his teammates buying into it more and more and more as he continued to do it."

For his part, Sexton has a big personal goal in mind next season. "I want to push towards that All-Star Game," he told reporters Friday. "I know what [that stage] feels like, and it just makes me hungry and makes me want to work that much harder. That's what's next for me."

What's next for the Cavaliers is not clear. It would be helpful for them to have the summer to see what a healthy Garland and Sexton could do together under Bickerstaff's coaching. If they don't, it wouldn't be hard to imagine them drafting a point guard in the lottery for the third season in a row. The good news is there's nowhere to go but up. The bad news is they're trying to make big decisions on a small sample size. And unlike Drummond's decision, the Cavs' upcoming choices won't be easy—and they may not pay off for a long time.