Hello all. We knew this was going to happen; we looked at 14,000,605 timelines and there was only one in which the Cavs were pulling it off. Please bear with me; ahead lies a lot of research, some insight and a lot of wild speculation and basketball hot takes.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I was anti-LeBron after the decision, but like my shipmates Chuck and Kyle on LEYTE GULF, I embraced him when he came back. I will support him, and continue to buy his gear when he leaves, even if it is to Houston or Philly. Just not ttow. But, this isn’t about just LeBron. This is about the Cavs post-Finals.

Looking ahead to the roster, using https://www.basketball-reference.com/contracts/CLE.html , there are only nine players under contract (not including LBJ). (Hood is an RFA). One draft pick will bring that total up to ten. As currently constructed, the payroll will be $102,368,741. Including the number eight pick, using last year’s number eight pick salary that number figures to be near $105,869,861. The projected NBA salary cap is around $101,000,000. If, big IF, my math is correct, that would give the Cavs a repeat luxury tax hit of $16,142,118. (With LeBron and cap holds the figures are $139,521,661 and $33,695,402.)

SO, what to do? There are three choices: 1. stand pat, make no moves and more than likely miss the playoffs while paying the luxury, 2. re-sign LeBron and try to swing trades with a combination of the number eight pick/JR/TT/Love, or 3. clean house and rebuild.

Let’s start with some assumptions: LeBron is probably gone; Tyronn Lue, for all the criticism lobbied his way is a decent coach, but with his anxiety and stress issues, I can’t see him returning; there is literally no way Dan Gilbert is going to pay a luxury tax and not make the playoffs, so there has to be something done.

Here are my thoughts:

1. Trade JR and or TT. Doing so would clear nearly $33 million off the books and allow for a free agent splash; the major problem is who would be a willing trade partner and what future assets would have to be given up? Perhaps TT for Deandre Jordan, since their salaries are similar; (Khloe make the call!). Probability: low; perhaps a buyout of JR will occur.
2. If both are able to be traded, go hard after Paul George. If they are able to sign him that would help keep LeBron. Probability: low unless number 1 goes through.
3. Attempt to trade Kevin Love for CJ McCollum straight up; the salaries are similar and CJ has made several likes, etc on twitter about wanting to go back to Ohio. Portland appears to be headed towards a massive overhaul after their playoff exit, and can bring Kevin Love home. Probability: medium
4. Draft wisely; as is obvious, post-LeBron round one netted one superstar (Kyrie), one decent player who couldn’t co-exist (Waiters) and another who has been cursed (TT), and a total bust who was drafted before Oladipo and Antetokounmpo. (I was an advocate for keeping Wiggins, who would have been huge in a post-LeBron era, especially if they could have kept Kyrie).  The problem is, who will be there at eight? What will next year bring? (As pointed out by Buckeye Chuck, they could try to move the eight for Kemba Walker.) Probability: crapshoot
5. Re-sign Rodney Hood. Perhaps with new coaching, he may revert back to his 16+ppg in Utah, and he has to be better than JR. (Thanks Elk for the correction).
6. Hill and Clarkson? Huge contracts for little production. Eat the contracts for two years?

What happens? Well, I *think* either JR or TT get traded, perhaps not both. Huge possibility that Love is moved while he still has some value. Using the ESPN trade machine, the trade could be a three way between the Cavs/ Clippers/ Blazers and would be TT to LA, Love to Portland, McCollum and Jordan to Cleveland (farfetched, I know, but the salaries match and the Clippers aren’t contending anytime soon, and the Blazers may be ready to rebuild). I think LeBron stays with these trades and or buyouts or goes to Boston in a sign and trade (great fit minus Kyrie) or San Antonio based on cap space and championship potential. Philly and Houston don’t have the cap space or flexibility. Lue resigns and Larry Drew takes over Lue stated he will be back last night, but that remains to be seen). If Bron walks, tank for two years until the bad contracts are off the books.

Doing more research, the 2019 pick belongs to Atlanta but: The protections on the first-round pick are as follows: top-10 protected in 2019 and 2020. If the pick ends up being protected (and therefore unused by Atlanta) in those two years, it will become second-round picks for the Hawks in both 2021 and 2022.

(Fun note: The Celtics (according to sources) are scared Kyrie is going to NY for he 2019-20 season.)

Thoughts? Can we shed salary and or bring D Jordan, McCollum or PG to the Land? Would any of these moves work? Should they strip everything down and start from scratch? All in all, this is a poorly constructed roster, from contracts to talent, and it is going to be a massive rebuild if they stand pat.

Like I said there are some hot takes in here, and a lot of speculation.