Did The Cleveland Cavaliers Have A Successful Offseason?

The Cleveland Cavaliers focused on retaining their core over the summer.

May 9, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts after a basket buy forward Evan Mobley (4) against the Boston Celtics in the first quarter during game two of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Summer is coming to a close, which means NBA basketball is just around the corner. The Cleveland Cavaliers begin their preseason training camps in under two weeks, and their roster is just about set for the upcoming year.

Now is a perfect time to look back at the last few months and answer the question: Did the Cavaliers have a successful offseason?

Before doing that, let's quickly recap Cleveland's biggest offseason moves.

1. Signed Donovan Mitchell to a three-year, $54 million contract extension.
2. Hired Kenny Atkinson as the team's new head coach.
3. Signed Evan Mobley to a five-year, $224 million contract.
4. Signed Jarrett Allen to a three-year, $91 million contract extension.
5. Re-signed Isaac Okoro to a three-year, $38 million deal.
6. Drafted Jaylon Tyson with the 20th overall pick in the NBA Draft.

Was all of this enough to be considered a success for Cleveland's front office?

Yes.

Mar 13, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) brings the ball up court against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half of the game at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The main reason for the approval of these moves is Mitchell's extension. If the Cavs weren't able to convince Spida to stay in Cleveland, the organization would've had to shift its focus to trading him and taking a step back next season.

Instead, they have Mitchell committed through the 2026-27 season, making him the cornerstone of the franchise moving forward. This deal truly set the tone for the rest of the franchise's offseason moves and on its own made the summer a success.

Cleveland's extension with Mobley is also a major win for the team. The 23-year-old is blossoming into an all-around start, and now they don't have to worry about the financial part of his future. Mobley and the team can focus on turning him into the best player he can be and a key running mate for Mitchell for years to come.

There's also Jarrett Allen's extension and Isaac Okoro's new deal, which can be viewed as successful moves from over the summer given that they're team-friendly deals, given the new salary cap restrictions.

Fans may have wanted to see Cleveland make a major trade or roster change over the summer. Yes, it would've been nice to bring another scoring forward to start or bring off the bench. However, there weren't many major movements throughout the NBA, and it takes two to tango and pull off a trade.

The Cavs recognized the players they needed to retain and got those deals done without any drama.

Cleveland undoubtably has a talented roster in place. Now, it's time for Atkinson to put all of those pieces together and transform their offensive identity and scheme.

Atkinson Introductory Presser 2.jpg / Spencer German

Just because we can consider the offseason a success, that doesn't mean the roster heading into the season is perfect. There are still valid concerns with Cleveland's forward and front-court depth that should be addressed at some point during the season.

But that's the thing: The Cavs still have pieces that can be moved during the year if the situation calls for them. For now, they bring back the core that won 48 games last season.