3 Ways for Cavaliers To Catch Up in Improved Eastern Conference

The Cleveland Cavaliers still have things to do before training camp begins.

They have managed to keep their core rotation ahead of the new campaign by re-signing Donovan Mitchell, who re-joins Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. The Cavs have signed Croatian wing Mario Hezonja, who returns to the NBA with a point to prove, and there is a lot of promise in rookie Meleek Thomas following an explosive NBA Summer League.

But on the grand scale of matters, the rest of the Eastern Conference has bulked up and, ahead of the new season, looks to be stronger and deeper than ever. Most notably, the Philadelphia 76ers added Jaylen Brown and LeBron James to their roster, and the Miami Heat got Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Do the Cavaliers need to catch up? What can they do to hang with their rivals this season?

Taking a risk with Peyton Watson or Jonathan Kuminga

The two big targets for the Cavaliers are Jonathan Kuminga and Peyton Watson, both of whom would benefit the team ahead of the new season.

With Kuminga, you have a talented young two-way player with a lot of room to grow and become an elite-level talent. For the Cavs, this could be someone to build up long-term in a position that has been a major weakness for the team. And with Watson, you get a freakishly athletic, defensive-minded player who thrives in transition play.

But the risk for the Cavaliers is the salary they come with. Kuminga is reportedly asking for a salary of $20 million; therefore, for the Cavs, the most realistic path is through another sign-and-trade, with Max Strus the likely candidate

Watson is the trickier of the two, as the Denver Nuggets don’t seem to entertain his departure, instead wanting to focus on retaining their current roster as they face luxury-tax restrictions.

"We want Peyton to stay with us," a Denver front office executive told Spotrac’s Keith Smith. "He's an important player for us. We'll see where things go with his contract, but we've made it clear our intention is for him to stay with us."

With Cleveland still operating as one of the league’s most expensive teams, they still need to shed some salary, so it is a risk, but to compete in a much stronger Eastern Conference, a risk could be worth taking.

With risk comes great reward

Cleveland's hopes of re-signing James Harden remain on hold, as Harden has given the Cavs a grace period to create the roster flexibility needed to build a legitimate championship contender.

Harden wants to stay in Cleveland, but he also wants the confidence of knowing every piece of the puzzle is in place before putting pen to paper.

There is no doubt that he is keeping a close eye on what the Cavaliers do next in terms of bolstering their roster, and it looks like if they add either Kuminga or Watson – as it’s unlikely they will both come to Cleveland – then Harden will make his decision.

Adding one more veteran to the mix?

A widely forgotten about trade idea could see Anthony Davis head to the Cavaliers. However, because LeBron put the NBA on hold with his decision, this could be another long shot, as the Washington Wizards are not likely to give him up without something massive in return.

A blockbuster move for Davis would come with risk, like everything does when it involves the Cavs. The veteran has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career, but when he's available, he's still capable of performing at an All-NBA level and can completely change a team's ceiling.

Cleveland's front office has already shown it isn't afraid to target experienced veterans. Parting ways with fan favorite Jarrett Allen would be a difficult decision, but it could also unlock a different role for Evan Mobley, allowing him to become the Cavaliers' full-time anchor in the middle.

The lengthy wait surrounding James' decision has complicated Cleveland's offseason plans and limited its flexibility in the trade market. Even so, there's still enough time for Cleveland to make meaningful additions and enter the season with a refreshed roster featuring new impact players.

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