Latest news with #KobyAltman
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a day ago
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Cavaliers Could Make Big Trade This Offseason
Cavaliers Could Make Big Trade This Offseason originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Cleveland Cavaliers were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference this year. They won 64 games during the regular season under first-year head coach Kenny Atkinson, who won the 2024-25 Coach of the Year Award. Advertisement The Cavaliers swept the Miami Heat in the first round of the 2025 playoffs. It appeared Cleveland was primed to compete for the championship for the first time in the second post-LeBron James era. However, the Indiana Pacers humbled the Cavaliers in the conference semifinals, winning that series in five quick games. Indiana won Games 1, 2 and 5 in Cleveland, sending Cavaliers fans who went to those games home sad. The Cavaliers haven't advanced past the second round of the playoffs since acquiring Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz in 2022. Some around the NBA believe Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman has to make a big trade this offseason for Atkinson's group to take the next step. Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson may have a new point guard next Richard-Imagn Images According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland 'might be available under the right circumstances.' Garland has spent his entire career in Cleveland. He was the fifth overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Advertisement Garland, 25, will make $39.4 million next season. He struggled against the Pacers in the conference semifinals, averaging only 14.0 points while shooting just 34.2% from the field and 16.7% from beyond the arc. Garland appeared in 75 games for the Cavaliers this season. He averaged 20.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists while shooting 47.2% from the floor, 40.1% from 3 and 87.8% from the free-throw line. Garland is listed at 6-1, 192 pounds, while Mitchell is listed at 6-3, 215 pounds. That's a small backcourt in today's NBA, which is why some believe Garland should be traded for a bigger guard this summer. Related: Four-Team NBA Trade Idea Sends Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell To Mavericks This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
What did Cleveland Cavaliers exec Koby Altman say during season wrap-up press conference?
INDEPENDENCE — With the 2024-25 Cavaliers season ending earlier than the franchise and its fan base expected, the spotlight has shifted to Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman. Here's a million dollar question: How will Altman approach this offseason after the Cavs went 64-18 in the regular season and earned the Eastern Conference's No. 1 playoff seed, only to flop with a 4-1 second-round series loss to the fourth-seeded Indiana Pacers? Advertisement Altman had a chance to shape the expectations of Cavs fans when he conducted his end-of-season media availability. Altman addressed reporters on the morning of Monday, May 19. Cavs news: Cleveland Cavaliers exec Koby Altman's stated desire to keep Cavs' core four is believable Here are some highlights from the news conference through our updates: Koby Altman on disappointment of Cavs' season ending earlier than expected Altman said he believes the way the season ended will fuel the Cavs moving forward. "But I also know I don't have a timeline on when I'm not going to be depressed," Altman said. "But I'll get over it. Advertisement "Part of it is we have a great attitudes in this building. We have a great culture. ... We have the belief from top down. We have a incredible culture. This is genuine." Cleveland Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman addresses the media at a season wrap-up news conference May 19, 2025. 'We've got to give Donovan [Mitchell] so much praise for his leadership' Altman said a big reason six-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell signed a contract extension with the Cavs last summer is the presence of the other members of the core four — All-Star point guard Darius Garland, All-Star forward Evan Mobley and center Jarrett Allen. "Let's give Donovan an incredible amount of accolades and praise for what he did this year," Altman said. "... He said, 'I'm willing to take a step back because I want to get [Garland] back to an All-Star level, which is going to help our confidence and help our runway, and Evan [Mobley] has to take a leap. I want to play with Evan in that second unit, so I can force feed him ... to make sure he's going to be ready for the playoffs. And that's not going to step. I think we've got to give Donovan so much praise for his leadership. ... He's one of the best players in the NBA. We're fortunate to have this kind of leader that's really selfless." Are the Cavs concerned about starting a small backcourt? Altman said "we can dispel that" Mitchell and Garland can't play together. Advertisement "We supplement what you would call the small backcourt with tremendous size and length. Adding De'Andre Hunter was a huge piece to that," Altman said. Koby Altman on Darius Garland's durability Garland missed four playoff games with a sprained left big toe before playing hurt in the final three games of the Eastern Conference semifinals. "He played a career high this year in games at 71 games," Altman said. "But I do think there's a level that he can get to that he hasn't tapped into yet, and it's a conversation that we've had with Darius. "He needs to get stronger, so he can compete at the highest level. It's the same thing with Stephen Curry when we picked on Steph. ... Steph got so strong over his maturation of his years. He's a different physical specimen, Stephen Curry, than he was when we first started playing him. It's the same thing that has to happen with Darius." What is Cavs' interest level in re-signing Ty Jerome? Altman said the Cavs would love to have guard Ty Jerome back. Jerome is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Advertisement "Yes, we'd love to keep Ty, but we'll see what the marketplace holds,' Altman said. More from Koby Altman: Cavaliers free agency: Ty Jerome is top target, question mark for Cleveland How does Koby Altman assess Jarrett Allen's fit with core four? Altman defended center Jarrett Allen and compared him to Pacers center Myles Turner, adding Turner is an example of an organization being rewarded for sticking with a player whose future has been doubted by outsiders. "They're not who they are without Myles Turner," Altman said. "And so, again, we gotta take caution before we say, 'Well, we're better without Jarrett.' Advertisement "You're not going to get much better if you're talking about moving away from Jarrett. Jarrett's an important part of this core." Cavs still must figure out how to win in the NBA playoffs Altman said the team needs to figure out how to win at the highest level. 'This is where we want to live — with the expectation of championship,' he said. Altman lamented the Cavs blowing a 20-point lead in Game 2 against the Pacers. 'You can't give away playoff games," he said. "You can't give away Game 2 [to the Pacers]. That's going to haunt us forever.' Koby Altman's belief in the Cavaliers' core four Altman repeatedly expressed faith in the core four. Advertisement "This is year three for the core four, and they've had incredible success, right?" Altman said. "Playoffs success needs to come next, but I think there's an internal belief because of what we proved this year during the regular season and what we're capable of to run it back and see what we can do. But it's not just running it back. It's another year of Kenny [Atkinson as head coach]. "We had the second best offensive rating in the history of the NBA this year as an offensive group. That's a new identity for us, and we kept and maintained our defensive identity at the same time. And so there was a newness, a freshness this year. I know this is year three, but there's a newness, a freshness that we're going to take into next year having failed again in the playoffs and knowing how much that's going to hurt. And we're going to get over the hump. This group's going to get over the hump." Koby Altman's thoughts on continuity for the Cavs Here's another example of Altman expressing his desire for continuity on the roster. Advertisement "If we were going to be reactionary, it'd been last year after everything that was written about that group, and all the rumors and all this and that," Altman said. "And we stood pat and look what happened, right? I think the same thing now as you lean in even more to what we're building, the culture that we have here, the internal growth, the youth, the sustainability of that. I think there's a championship window that we have here that's wide open, and that's one that we're going to try to pursue next year and the year after and the year after and so forth. "So we're not done by any stretch. But I would say if there was a time that we were going to crumble, potentially would've been last year. Certainly not after what we've seen from this group this year is something where we're going to break up a group that's been together for three years and has accomplished what they've accomplished and is ready to take that next step — as disappointing as this ending was." Koby Altman said NBA championship expectations are new for this group of Cavaliers Altman made it clear he expects the Cavs to contend. Advertisement "We're not going to go anywhere," he said. "This team is not getting any worse. I don't know if we have 64 wins left in us, but we certainly are going to compete for the best record again." The impact of Darius Garland's absence early in the series vs. the Pacers Altman said Garland's injury had a major impact on the Cavs in the Eastern Conference semifinals. "I do think not having Darius in the first two games rattled us just from — you want your point guard to be able to handle some of that pressure," Altman said. "Give [the Pacers] credit, though." Do the Cavs need another ballhandling guard? Related to the point about Garland's toe injury, do the Cavs need another ballhandling guard? Advertisement "To ask Ty to become a starting point guard in the conference semifinals, that's hard. That's a big ask to ask Donovan to bring the ball up 94 feet and then create offense. That's a big ask. Not having your All-Star point guard healthy was a big part of that," Altman said. Koby Altman talks about Cavs forward Evan Mobley's development One of the main arguments Altman presented for continuity centered on Mobley improving. "Evan Mobley's 23 years old," Altman said. "If we don't think he's going to break through, we're nuts. He's going to break through at some point. He's 23 years old. This is his third playoffs. He's still figuring out this new high-usage part of his game that came with Kenny this year, and so he's going to break through that. Advertisement "Internal growth is something that we've always banked on and we're going to continue to bank on. If we are a second apron team, we still know we have internal growth to get better. If we land there, we know we have the sustainability to retain our top talent. " More on Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley Continuing the theme, the internal expectations for Mobley are sky high. "We're going to go as a franchise as Evan is going to go," Altman said. "And we've had that conversation with Evan. "Evan, can he play three? Can he play four? Can he play five? And in the playoffs, we need more. We need more than 13 field-goal attempts a game — that's new. That's new for Evan. There's another jump. And so to that point, Kenny's going to be able to implement his offseason program, which we're very excited about. And we're going to see some internal growth there, and we think we have one of the best big men in the game in Evan Mobley." Are the Cavs tough enough? Altman pointed out the Cavs outrebounded the Pacers, but noted toughness is about more than the boards. Advertisement "There's going to be a mental toughness hurdle that we have to get over," he said. "And the Pacers did a remarkable job. "There's a mental toughness that we're going to have to get to that a lot of the Pacers had. A lot of the Pacers had that experience of conference finals [last year]." Why Cavaliers executive Koby Altman is still optimistic about the Cavs as presently constructed? Altman expressed belief in the Cavs having the pieces to contend for a title. 'I love our foundation," Altman said. "I love our core. Our starting lineup, the average age is 26.8. We have two All-Stars that are 25 and 23, respectively, and they're going through it, they're going through these experiences, they're going through these battles and we're sustainable in a lot of ways, not just because guys are under contract, but our youth. Advertisement "Our belief in this group in a lot of ways, there's a newness to this group as well in terms of our new head coach that's been with us for one year. Us figuring out our offensive identity happened this year, and so I'm really high on and optimistic about our future. That being said, it can't just be 82 games. We have to figure out this next 16, we have to figure out how to get over the hump, but this group has shown they can play some of the best basketball in the world. It's how do we do it on the highest stage and continue to keep pushing to get over that hump?' What has Cavs owner Dan Gilbert told Koby Altman about restrictions with luxury tax? Are the Cavaliers willing to be a second apron team? Altman said Cavs ownership has not presented him with luxury tax restrictions. 'No restrictions in terms of going into the tax," Altman said. "We haven't been a tax team in a long time. I think with Dan and Grant and the Gilbert family, I think we take for granted how much they bring to the table and not just the financial resources that they give us. I think what's been incredible in terms of this process from a rebuild to perennial playoffs to trying to get to that next level is their patience, but their positivity and player engagement." Advertisement Altman said the Cavs are willing to be a second apron team in terms of being over the salary cap. 'Yes, if we need to go there,' he said. Koby Altman's opening remarks at Cavs season-ending press conference Altman began by talking about the disappointment of the season ending in the second round for the second consecutive year. "We feel it. It's raw for us," he said. "We're disappointed how it ended. But it was a remarkable year on so many fronts. ... We're not going to go anywhere. We're going to keep fighting for that championship, and this window is wide open, we believe.' How did the 2024-25 Cavs end their season in the NBA playoffs? The top-seeded Cavs defeated the No. 8 Miami Heat in a 4-0 first-round playoff sweep. Advertisement Then the Cavs stumbled in the Eastern Conference semifinals and lost the Round 2 series against the No. 4 Pacers in five games. Here is a review of the series: Game 1: Pacers 121, Cavs 112 | Recap | Column | Story Game 2: Pacers 120, Cavs 119 | Recap | Column | Story Game 3: Cavs 126, Pacers 104 | Recap | Column | Story Game 4: Pacers 129, Cavs 109 | Recap | Column | Story Game 5: Pacers 114, Cavs 105 | Recap | Column | Story Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman talks during media day, Oct. 2, 2023, in Cleveland. What is the playoff history between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers? In the playoffs, the Cavs are now 10-10 against the Pacers. The record includes the results from this year's Eastern Conference semifinals. Here is a breakdown of the previous three series the two teams have shared: 2018 : LeBron James and the Cavs got past the Pacers in the first round, but it took seven games. The Cavs ultimately were swept 4-0 by the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. 2017 : Coming off Cleveland's 2016 NBA title and led by James, the Cavs swept the Pacers 4-0 in the first round. The Cavs eventually lost 4-1 to the Warriors in the NBA Finals. 1998: The Cavs fell 3-1 to the Pacers in Round 1. The Pacers were eventually eliminated by the Chicago Bulls in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Michael Jordan and the Bulls then beat the Utah Jazz 4-2 in the NBA Finals. Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@ On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich . This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs executive Koby Altman's season-ending press conference highlights
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cavaliers exec Koby Altman's stated desire to keep Cavs' core four is believable
INDEPENDENCE — A year ago, Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman told the truth about his desire to keep the core four intact. When Altman held a season wrap-up news conference on Monday, May 19, at Cleveland Clinic Courts, he doubled down on his appetite for maintaining the status quo with All-Star guards Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, All-Star forward Evan Mobley and center Jarrett Allen. Advertisement And because Altman kept his word last offseason, his most recent expression of faith in the core four is particularly believable. Altman is smart enough to know his stance won't be popular among all Cavs fans, not with their wounds still open from a severely disappointing 4-1 series loss to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. "If we were going to be reactionary, it'd been last year after everything that was written about that group and all the rumors and all this and that," Altman said at Cleveland Clinic Courts. "And we stood pat and look what happened, right? I think the same thing now as you lean in even more to what we're building, the culture that we have here, the internal growth, the youth, the sustainability of that. I think there's a championship window that we have here that's wide open, and that's one that we're going to try to pursue next year and the year after and the year after and so forth. "So we're not done by any stretch. But I would say if there was a time that we were going to crumble, potentially would've been last year. Certainly not after what we've seen from this group this year is something where we're going to break up a group that's been together for three years and has accomplished what they've accomplished and is ready to take that next step — as disappointing as this ending was." Advertisement Decision-makers for professional sports franchises are not always honest in their public messaging, and they can always use competitive advantage or leverage as justification for setting smoke screens. However, it doesn't appear to be the case with Altman's approach to this NBA offseason and the core four. Feel free to send emails full of taunts if this proves to be the wrong read, but Altman's thorough defense of the core four and the reasons he cited for optimism about the group's future came across as genuine. Altman realizes some outsiders are lobbying for splitting up the core four after the Cavs went 64-18 in the regular season and earned the Eastern Conference's No. 1 playoff seed, only to be bounced from the second round of the postseason by the fourth-seeded Pacers. Cleveland Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman fields questions during a news conference, May 19, 2025. Here are the arguments Cleveland Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman presented for keeping the Cavs' core four The core four has been together for three seasons, starting with the arrival of Mitchell in September 2022 via a blockbuster trade with the Utah Jazz. The Cavs were knocked out of the opening round of the playoffs by the New York Knicks two years ago, lost in the second round to the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics last year and were humiliated by the Pacers in Round 2 this year. Advertisement With those results, Altman knows his arguments in favor of core-four continuity must be strong to limit how many eyes roll out of Cavs fans' heads. Altman explained this iteration of the Cavs has new elements on several fronts, pointing to … NBA Coach of the Year Kenny Atkinson coming off his first season with the franchise Atkinson's offense, which produced the second-best offensive rating (121) in league history in the regular season Championship expectations the team created with its success More Cavaliers: Cleveland Cavs need Evan Mobley to be top player, not 'nonexistent' in playoffs Aside from fresh factors, Altman mentioned the four conference finalists — the Pacers and New York Knicks in the East and Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves in the West — 'have zero rotational players missing' because of injury. It's Altman's way of reminding everyone Mitchell (calf strain, sprained ankle), Garland (sprained big toe), Mobley (sprained ankle) and backup wing De'Andre Hunter (sprained shooting thumb caused by dislocation) dealt with injuries during the playoffs. Mitchell played in every postseason game, Garland missed four of them and Mobley and Hunter each sat out one. Advertisement Altman also listed the Thunder, Celtics and Denver Nuggets as examples of organizations benefiting from staying the course with a core. And perhaps the concept Altman sought to emphasize the most is in-house improvements. He went there several times with Mobley, a first-time All-Star and NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the 2024-25 season, but he included other members of the core four, too. 'I'm not counting out a 28-year-old Donovan Mitchell, who showed the most efficient year of his career and is dying to get to that next level,' Altman said. 'I'm not counting out 25-year-old Darius Garland. I'm not counting out a 23-year-old Evan Mobley. This is where we're going to get better, and this is where we're going to lean into, but we have to go through these experiences as tough as they are, fail quick and get up, lick our wounds and move forward.' Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) shoots the ball while Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) defends during Game 3 of a second-round playoff series May 9, 2025, in Indianapolis, Indiana. Is Cleveland Cavs center Jarrett Allen going to be the odd man out in the Cavaliers core four? Will the Cavs move forward with the 27-year-old Allen? Advertisement Barring something completely shocking, Mitchell and Mobley are locks as the faces of the Cavs for the foreseeable future, so dismantling the core four would almost certainly mean trading Garland or Allen. On one hand, Allen was conspicuously absent from Altman's quote about internal growth. On the other hand, Altman went to bat for Allen when the executive was asked about the big man's fit with the core four. Altman even compared Allen to Pacers center Myles Turner, citing Turner as an example of an organization being rewarded for sticking with a player whose future has been doubted by fans and media members. "They're not who they are without Myles Turner," Altman said. "And so, again, we gotta take caution before we say, 'Well, we're better without Jarrett.' "You're not going to get much better if you're talking about moving away from Jarrett. Jarrett's an important part of this core." Advertisement The Cavs had virtually the same roster for the 2024-25 season after losing to the Celtics in last year's playoffs. They didn't re-sign late-season addition and veteran forward Marcus Morris Sr. They also welcomed back guard Ty Jerome, who missed all but two games in the 2023-24 season with an ankle injury and surgery. It took until the Feb. 6 trade deadline for Altman to significantly stray from roster continuity. It's when he acquired Hunter from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for guard Caris LeVert, forward Georges Niang, three second-round draft choices and two pick swaps. Cavaliers season ends: Cavs disappoint, underachieve in NBA playoffs and must adapt, evolve in offseason Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) drives to the basket as Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) defends during Game 1 of a second-round playoff series May 4, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio. Will the Cleveland Cavaliers change their role players amid unmet playoff expectations? Will the Cavs re-sign Ty Jerome, Sam Merrill? As Altman made his presentation about the viability of the core four, he didn't convey a clear message about running it back with the same supporting cast. Advertisement When Altman was asked how he would characterize the degree of interest he has in retaining Jerome, who's scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, he started to ask rhetorically if he were allowed to discuss Jerome's contractual status. Team brass, of course, is permitted to talk about its own players, and Altman quickly pivoted to doing so. He said, 'We'd love to keep Ty, but we'll see what the marketplace holds.' He mentioned guard Sam Merrill, another soon-to-be free agent, in the same breath as Jerome, saying they found confidence in Atkinson's system and thereby increased their value. Reading between the lines, Altman sounds more like someone who's planning to try to fix the roster around the edges than messing with the core four. If it's a valid interpretation, the Cavs would be more likely to move on from role players like Jerome, Merrill and forwards Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro instead of starters. The Cavs could let Jerome and/or Merrill walk in free agency. Wade and Okoro are under contract for next season, so they would only leave in a trade. Two candidates to join the core four in the starting lineup, small forward Max Strus and Hunter, are probably in a category of players less likely to be considered expendable. Advertisement Altman should definitely make some changes. And any moves executed this offseason must be done to add legitimate playoff toughness and experience to the roster. A lack of physicality and mental fortitude, especially in pressure-packed moments, resulted in the demise of the Cavs. Whether the Cavs can gain enough of it while preserving the core four is a needle Altman will seemingly attempt to thread. Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@ On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich . This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavaliers' Koby Altman makes believable case for keeping Cavs core 4
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
'It's going to eat at us'- Cleveland Cavaliers' president Koby Altman addresses key mistakes during series against Indiana Pacers
Cleveland Cavaliers' president Koby Altman addresses team's goal for the next season (Image Source: Getty) For the Cleveland Cavaliers , this regular season has been pretty strong. But they did face a disappointing playoff exit. For fans, players, and team staff, everybody has been upset about it. While the team has a lot of talent, including three All-Stars and the Defensive Player of the Year, the issue pertains to salary cap, and it will be hard for them to make big changes this offseason, but the team shouldn't have to face any consequences. Team president Koby Altman addressed a press conference regarding the team's performance so far. Koby Altman says focusing on performing better for next season The Cleveland Cavaliers' president Koby Altman addressed a press conference on Monday, where he said the Cavaliers need to focus on improving certain areas to perform better in the playoffs and go further next season. undefined Koby Altman said, "I think there's a mental toughness that you have to get by going through these failures in the playoffs, I think people speak to the physicality - It was a physical, physical series against the Pacers. But watch every single series, they're all physical. They're all grabbing hold. They're all pushing from afar.' Further, he explained 'mental toughness' matters the most. He said: "There's a mental toughness that we're going to have to get to that a lot of the Pacers had. At the end of some of those games [against the Pacers], that's what we saw. They made those winning plays at the end, They made those winning plays at the end. And as much as we won the possession battle, and dominated the possession battle throughout the playoffs, that one foul-line blockout at the end of Game 2, right? That's a level of focus and winning that we have to get to, and it's going to eat at us,' Altman added. He explained, 'We've become very, very good at the regular season, Eight-two games. We've been brilliant [in the last three years]. ... Now the next is, we need to figure out how to win at the highest level when everyone's juices are up, when everyone's competing at the highest level, it's more physical.' While talking from a performance standpoint, he said: 'The hard part was the plan that we laid out over the course of the year was phenomenal from a performance standpoint, The year before, we were limping into the playoffs. We didn't want that. So minutes came down. Let's elevate them at the end of the year, let's have some ramp-up. Let's be our best heading into the playoffs, and we were in the first round," he said. Also Read: Tyrese Haliburton Shuts Down Haters With Playoff Heroics—LeBron James Backs Him Up: 'Super Cool' Koby Altman praised the team's efforts for the phenomenal performance, despite all struggles. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Forbes
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Koby Altman Tips Cavaliers' Hand About Offseason Priority
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 14: President of basketball operations Koby Altman of the Cleveland ... More Cavaliers speaks during a press conference introducing Donovan Mitchell at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on September 14, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) Everything went right for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the regular season. They finished atop the Eastern Conference standings with a 64-18 record. Only the Oklahoma City Thunder, who went 68-14, had a higher mark. Then came the playoffs. After breezing by the Miami Heat in a four-game sweep, the Cavaliers got bounced by the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the postseason. Darius Garland dealt with a sprained toe. The ailment cost him four consecutive contests. His absence stretched from their series vs. the Heat to the start of their best-of-seven against the Pacers. Garland averaged 14 points and 4.0 assists while shooting below 35 percent from the field and logging 28.3 minutes. It's a far cry from the 20.6 points, 6.7 assists, and 40.1 percent sniping from beyond the arc he averaged in the regular season while logging over 30 minutes per tilt. Instead, he shot 3/18 [16.7 percent] Teammates Evan Mobley and DeAndre Hunter got injured in the final frame of Cleveland's Game 1 loss to Indiana. The latter dislocated his thumb. The former turned his ankle when he landed on the foot of Pacers center Myles Turner. Overcoming those injuries and avoiding a disastrous 4-1 series defeat against an Indiana opponent that returns to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight year, where the New York Knicks await, required more contributions from Ty Jerome. The Sixth Man of the Year finalist produced 11.7 points and 3.6 assists per playoff contest. He shot 40.1 percent from the field in nine postseason games. To his credit, the former Virginia Cavalier converted on 38.9 percent of the 4.0 threes he hoisted per matchup. The latter was more in line with the best regular season of Jerome's six-year career. He averaged 12.5 points, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals. He knocked down 43.9 percent of the 3.6 threes he launched. After playing on an expiring $2.6 million contract, Jerome is scheduled for unrestricted free agency. He turns 28 in July. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, at Monday's end-of-season press conference, Cavaliers president of basketball operations, Koby Altman, conveyed the franchise would "love to keep him. We're hopeful." Altman continued, "When guys find that confidence in [Kenny Atkinson's] system, their value gets driven up. Same thing with Sam Merrill. You want to call these guys end-of-bench players before they became real rotational players and valuable within the ecosystem, not just us. The good news is those guys are going to do really well for themselves." That could lead to Jerome cashing in elsewhere. With Mobley earning Defensive Player of the Year, his salary for the upcoming campaign escalates from $38.7 million to $46.4 million. Now, his total salary will surpass $269 million. The financial ramifications of that are carrying $219 in estimated payroll next season. That means the Cavaliers project to go over the second apron. That's with 11 players under contract. They could trade someone like Isaac Okoro, who is on the books for $11 million for the 2025-26 campaign, to aid their effort to retain Jerome. However, if a team like the Orlando Magic views him as capable of sliding into a starting point guard job and elevating what their team's capable of, it will be difficult for Cleveland to find a path to keeping its sixth man.
