“Cleveland, this is for you!” These words will forever be remembered by every single Cleveland Cavaliers fan, as it was the moment LeBron James delivered on his promise and brought back a championship to the city in 2016.

A lot has changed for the Cavs since then, especially when looking at their core group. James is now with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kyrie Irving is a member of the Dallas Mavericks and Kevin Love is with the Miami Heat. It appeared as if Cleveland was once again heading for a rebuild when LeBron left in 2018, but owner Dan Gilbert and President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman have done a fantastic job of quickly turning their organization into a threat.

Aside from drafting All-Star-like players such as Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, the Cavaliers have also added All-Stars Jarrett Allen and Donovan Mitchell in trades over the last two seasons. This four-man core has instantly become one of the best young groups in the entire league and they made a statement by winning 51 games during the 2022-23 season.

This turned out to be Cleveland's best season in roughly six years and claiming the 4-seed in what turned out to be a very competitive Eastern Conference was no small feat. Losing to the New York Knicks in the first round was a disappointment, but overall, the 2022-23 season proved to be a massive success for the Cavs.

As they entered the offseason and now prepare for the 2023-24 season, the focus for Cleveland has drastically shifted from rebuilding for the future to contending right now. Unlike most contending teams, the Cavaliers have put themselves in a position to succeed both now and long term.

Mitchell is just now entering the prime of his career at 27 years old, Allen is 25, Garland is 23 and Mobley is 22. All of them are still growing into their full potential and the Cavs made sure that their core is signed for the foreseeable future, as these four players will be together through the 2024-25 season at the very least, assuming the team does not trade one of them before then.

The mindset and philosophy of staying young and building themselves into a real threat right now remained during the summer. Cleveland knew they needed to add a little bit extra depth on their bench in order to contend against the likes of the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics in the East, which is why they were not afraid to spend in free agency.

Offseason additions and departures

Additions: G/F Max Strus (free agency – MIA), F Georges Niang (free agency – PHI), G Ty Jerome (free agency – GSW), C Tristan Thompson (free agency – CHI), C Damian Jones (trade – UTA)

Departures: F Cedi Osman (trade – SAS), F Lamar Stevens (trade – SAS), C Robin Lopez (free agency – MIL), G Danny Green (free agency – PHI)

Max Strus was Cleveland's big addition this offseason after he agreed to a four-year, $63 million deal with the team after spending the last three seasons of his career with the Miami Heat. This ended up being a sign-and-trade agreement that involved the Heat and San Antonio Spurs, as Cedi Osman and Lamar Stevens were sent to the Spurs to clear up cap room for Strus.

Last season was Strus' best since making his NBA debut in 2019. He averaged a career-high 11.5 points per game in Miami and he ended up playing in a career-high 80 games, 33 of which he started in. While he's always been known to be more of a three-point shooting threat than a defender, Strus' versatility allowed him to guard multiple positions on the perimeter.

This is a lot of money that the Cavs invested into the sharpshooter, but he addresses a key need they have had out on the wing for quite some time. Cleveland ranked 12th in team three-point percentage and 19th in made threes a season ago, which is why Strus can instantly help make a positive difference when the new season begins. The former Heat wing is also a better shooter and scorer than Osman ever was, so the Cavs essentially upgraded their bench depth at a slightly higher price.

Continuing to add shooting depth, Georges Niang found himself as another offensive weapon heading to the Cavs this offseason on a new three-year, $25 million deal. This is the most Niang has ever been given over the course of his seven-year career, always finding himself as a player who was given a minimum contract or a small part of his team's mid-level exception. The Cavaliers believe in his abilities to be another positive factor on their bench, which is why they sacrificed a large part of their MLE to sign him.

For his career, Niang has shot 40.3 percent from three-point range. Just last season he shot 52.6 percent from the corner, according to StatMuse. Mitchell and Garland now have an immediate shooting threat to pass the ball out to when they drive to the rim and Niang should immediately boost what was one of the league's worst bench units.

Strus and Niang were the two big additions for the Cavaliers, as Ty Jerome and Tristan Thompson are two additional signings who provide depth in the backcourt and frontcourt, respectively. Jerome played well on a two-way contract with the Warriors last season and has always been known to be a viable three-point option. As for Thompson, he was a part of the Cavs' 2016 championship team and was one of the best rebounders in the league not too long ago. His experiences and connection to Cleveland are the two reasons why the organization wanted to bring him back.

It's also worth mentioning that the Cavs agreed to a new two-year contract with Caris LeVert this offseason. There were a lot of questions being asked about if LeVert would return, especially since he was looking to get paid and since his production in Cleveland had been inconsistent. The two sides ultimately came to an agreement and he will enter training camp as the likely starter at the small forward position.

Over the years, Cleveland had been hesitant to spend a lot of money in free agency. On the verge of being a real threat across the league, the Cavs understood that improving their secondary unit was essential, which is why they made the moves that they did.

A lot of pressure was cast on the likes of Mitchell and Garland, so much so that this team's production declined as games went on due to their lack of depth. Both Strus and Niang will be able to help take a lot of the offensive strain off of the team's two leaders in the backcourt, plus the Cavs are hopeful that LeVert will be able to become more comfortable in his role out on the wing. Based on what the organization lost and who they added, it's clear to see that the Cavaliers had a terrific free agency period.

Cleveland's financials & Donovan Mitchell's future

Cleveland Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley

As is the case with any young team, the Cavaliers are going to be facing some financial decisions as time goes on. Of course, a lot of their decision-making process will factor in the team's recent success and what they are able to achieve in the playoffs. This doesn't take away from the fact that the 2023-24 season is going to be vital to their future.

Any record south of 51 wins will be a slight concern for this organization, especially since they have a better roster than they did a year ago. This franchise expects to be in the playoffs and be one of the final teams standing, which is why potential success, or lack thereof, will play a role in extension talks for Evan Mobley.

Drafted third overall in 2021, Mobley probably should have been the 2021 NBA Rookie of the Year after he displayed his two-way abilities right away. Just this past season, the 22-year-old became an even better double-double threat than he already was and Mobley has shown flashes of his shooting potential outside of the paint.

The upcoming year is going to be extremely important for the young big man, as he will need to once again show growth as a decision maker and possible No. 3 scoring option next to Mitchell and Garland. What's interesting about the recent top pick is that at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, he will be eligible for an extension.

It is looking likely that the Cavs will commit to Mobley on a long-term deal when that time comes. At the same time, should they finish with below 50 wins and fail to win a playoff series, this front office is going to be evaluating all of their options. Who knows what exactly this could lead to in terms of roster moves, but the Cavaliers have a payroll of over $160 million for the next two seasons.

Looking at the 2025-26 season right now, which would be the first season an extension for Mobley would kick in, Caris LeVert will be the only significant contract expiring. This would mean that a potential $30 million per year contract extension for Mobley would instantly put the Cavs back over $160 million in salaries.

The Cavaliers are going to be forced to pay a lot of money to keep this current core together and seeing as they are so young, the payroll and tax bill is not going to be declining any time soon. All eyes are on Mobley and a possible long-term extension as a result.

Heading into the new year, there are also some questions being asked about Mitchell and if he is committed to building a future with the Cavaliers. One of the main reasons the four-time All-Star asked for a trade from the Utah Jazz was because of their lack of success and ability to recruit high-end free agents. Cleveland was at the top of the NBA world with LeBron James as the face of their franchise, but this past year was truly their first successful season without LeBron in over two decades.

Much has been made about Mitchell and his desire to play for the New York Knicks, especially given his ties to New York City and the tri-state area. There was obvious interest from the All-Star to play for the Knicks before he was traded to the Cavaliers, and there are some around the league who still believe that he wouldn't mind eventually teaming up with some of his friends such as Josh Hart and Trae Young.

The idea of building a championship-contending team as the lead star is something Mitchell takes a lot of pride in and he has not given the Cavs any indications that he is having doubts about his future. In fact, sources close to Cleveland's star told ClutchPoints that Mitchell is extremely comfortable with the Cavaliers and is solely focused on the upcoming 2023-24 season.

What will be interesting to see is if the team looks to offer him a contract extension, especially since he will have one more year left after the upcoming season before having to make a decision on his player option.

2023-24 season outlook

The Cavaliers have a chance to have one of their best seasons in franchise history this upcoming year. Their entire core group is returning and will look a lot more comfortable with one another after having a full offseason to work out. Not to mention, the additions of Strus and Niang will instantly provide a boost on the offensive side of things.

During the 2022-23 season, Cleveland ranked first in the league in defensive rating and their 106.9 points allowed per game average ranked at the very top of the league as well. As time goes on, Mobley is only going to get better defensively and the organization is still high on Isaac Okoro's abilities to get after his opponents on the wing. It would be shocking to see the Cavs rank outside of the Top 5 in defensive rating.

Offensively, the Cavaliers truly weren't bad last season. Even though they ranked 25th in the league in scoring, their slow pace and ability to take high-percentage shots eventually led to them ranking inside the Top 10 in offensive rating. What hurt this team was the fact that they had zero depth, something that showed up in big games, especially in the postseason.

When Mitchell, Garland, or Mobley went to the bench, the Cavs were left searching for production. This is where guys like Strus, Niang, and even Jerome could potentially help out this upcoming year, as taking the strain off the backs of the team's leading scorers will be essential. Mitchell may have gone for 71 points in a game last season, but Cleveland would much rather have other players step up so Don is healthy for the postseason.

There is a lot to like about this group and head coach J.B. Bickerstaff does not get enough appreciation for the job he's done. Bickerstaff doubled the team's win total from his first to second season, then he orchestrated their growth this past year. Head coaches are always the first to receive blame, but we never want to sit back and say that they did an excellent job. Well, hopefully, that changes in regards to the Cavs because Bickerstaff is absolutely a Coach of the Year candidate.

The Cavaliers have high expectations that they can be one of the best teams in the East during the regular season once more. The only difference between last season and this upcoming season is that they believe they have what it takes to represent the East in the NBA Finals. Time will tell if this young group will take the next step to becoming one of the league's biggest threats.