Off Season Interviews: Cleveland Cavaliers
Jul 21, 2022 23:08:59 GMT -5
Golden State Warriors (Caleb), Grizzlies GM (Royce), and 2 more like this
Post by The Athletic on Jul 21, 2022 23:08:59 GMT -5
Hey Jon! Thanks for taking some time to sit down and chat about the state of the Cleveland Cavs. Let’s get right into it.
You were in all sorts of headlines this summer as you decided to rebuild and as a result dealt Lebron, Jok, and Middleton within the span of one off-season. A think some might ask why? Jok/Bron/Middleton + JB give you a shot at a title every year. What was the reason you decided it was time to embark on a rebuild?
That is the million dollar question. I feel like I gave it 2 real chances to make the big 3 work. As most will tell you, depth is so incredibly important. There is just only so much you can do having them as a core. Health is a must and I saw how right at playoff time without any one of those guys, I just couldn't compete with the top tier. But honestly, I had made the decision after the prior season to give it one last run and then try something else. With the emergence of Brunson, I did have second thoughts, but ultimately decided it was what I wanted to try.
After seeing the market for Bron was there any hesitation to maybe hold off and see if he could garner more during the season? What made you want to get that thing done ASAP?
I was surprised that the market for him was as light as it was. I wasn't asking for the world, understanding that while he was still playing out of his mind, he is a man and is getting older. He also missed time. My goal all along was to deal all of them and I didnt want to wait. I still dont understand how so many could be negative about the deal, while there wasn't a ton of legitimate offers. Believe it or not, he was the hardest one to trade and I do hope to see him back home before the end of his career.
What do you see in DG that made you confident that he could be the guy to build around moving forward?
Ahhh the better half of Sexland. Us here in the organization have admired this young man from afar. At the beginning of the season last year I did ask the assistant GM's to do some scouting around the league for potential matches in a deal for Jokic. All of them came back and said if you can get this kid, thats the one. I personally reached out to Tyler early on to express our interest. After watching him grow as a player and really place himself into the upper tier of not just Point Guards, but players in the league. He was the right choice to take us through this process.
Now that you are in the rebuild stage.. What is the plan? Is there a timeline on when you expect to be competitive again or are you in more of a wait and see approach?
That's a great question. Id say this is 75% retool and 25% rebuild. I realized when trading the big 3 I was not going to get all picks and kids. I was going to get talent back. So the decision was made to still keep a competitive roster, even if its a fringe, at best, playoff team. The goal in Cleveland is always to make the playoffs. But in reality, we would expect to be competing fully within 2 years.
What are your expectations heading into this season?
Like I mentioned before I would like our team to play hard and be competitive. I feel like we will win some games we shouldn't, and lose some we should have won. I feel that the playoffs are possible, but work will need to be done.
Was Jabari always going to be the guy for you at 3? Did you have any interest in Ivey or anyone else? What made you guys feel confident that Jabari was the pick at 3?
Interestingly, he started out that way. But almost did not end up that way. Early on I really liked him and Paolo through the process. After meeting Mr. Ivey I also really debated going that route. When the ping pong balls had us at 3, I was confident in any of the choices we would have. But at the end of the day, when the draft came around, it was down to Paolo or Jabari. The GM's before me helped make that decision easier. But Jalen Ivey was most definetly in the discussions.
If you could eliminate one other franchise in the playoffs in the future, who would it be and why?
This is a funny question and I have been debating it the entire interview. Throughout the trade process for my former players and then the reactions from other GM's, you would think I have some grudges. Even with the 1 week(ended up being 9 day) ban that the Grizzlies recieved. I don't hold any hostilities. For me it would always come down to beating someone who has helped me along the way, to show that the student can beat the master. If I am lucky enough to go head to head in the Eastern Conference Finals with Chuck, that's who I want to beat.
Appreciate the time!
You were in all sorts of headlines this summer as you decided to rebuild and as a result dealt Lebron, Jok, and Middleton within the span of one off-season. A think some might ask why? Jok/Bron/Middleton + JB give you a shot at a title every year. What was the reason you decided it was time to embark on a rebuild?
That is the million dollar question. I feel like I gave it 2 real chances to make the big 3 work. As most will tell you, depth is so incredibly important. There is just only so much you can do having them as a core. Health is a must and I saw how right at playoff time without any one of those guys, I just couldn't compete with the top tier. But honestly, I had made the decision after the prior season to give it one last run and then try something else. With the emergence of Brunson, I did have second thoughts, but ultimately decided it was what I wanted to try.
After seeing the market for Bron was there any hesitation to maybe hold off and see if he could garner more during the season? What made you want to get that thing done ASAP?
I was surprised that the market for him was as light as it was. I wasn't asking for the world, understanding that while he was still playing out of his mind, he is a man and is getting older. He also missed time. My goal all along was to deal all of them and I didnt want to wait. I still dont understand how so many could be negative about the deal, while there wasn't a ton of legitimate offers. Believe it or not, he was the hardest one to trade and I do hope to see him back home before the end of his career.
What do you see in DG that made you confident that he could be the guy to build around moving forward?
Ahhh the better half of Sexland. Us here in the organization have admired this young man from afar. At the beginning of the season last year I did ask the assistant GM's to do some scouting around the league for potential matches in a deal for Jokic. All of them came back and said if you can get this kid, thats the one. I personally reached out to Tyler early on to express our interest. After watching him grow as a player and really place himself into the upper tier of not just Point Guards, but players in the league. He was the right choice to take us through this process.
Now that you are in the rebuild stage.. What is the plan? Is there a timeline on when you expect to be competitive again or are you in more of a wait and see approach?
That's a great question. Id say this is 75% retool and 25% rebuild. I realized when trading the big 3 I was not going to get all picks and kids. I was going to get talent back. So the decision was made to still keep a competitive roster, even if its a fringe, at best, playoff team. The goal in Cleveland is always to make the playoffs. But in reality, we would expect to be competing fully within 2 years.
What are your expectations heading into this season?
Like I mentioned before I would like our team to play hard and be competitive. I feel like we will win some games we shouldn't, and lose some we should have won. I feel that the playoffs are possible, but work will need to be done.
Was Jabari always going to be the guy for you at 3? Did you have any interest in Ivey or anyone else? What made you guys feel confident that Jabari was the pick at 3?
Interestingly, he started out that way. But almost did not end up that way. Early on I really liked him and Paolo through the process. After meeting Mr. Ivey I also really debated going that route. When the ping pong balls had us at 3, I was confident in any of the choices we would have. But at the end of the day, when the draft came around, it was down to Paolo or Jabari. The GM's before me helped make that decision easier. But Jalen Ivey was most definetly in the discussions.
If you could eliminate one other franchise in the playoffs in the future, who would it be and why?
This is a funny question and I have been debating it the entire interview. Throughout the trade process for my former players and then the reactions from other GM's, you would think I have some grudges. Even with the 1 week(ended up being 9 day) ban that the Grizzlies recieved. I don't hold any hostilities. For me it would always come down to beating someone who has helped me along the way, to show that the student can beat the master. If I am lucky enough to go head to head in the Eastern Conference Finals with Chuck, that's who I want to beat.
Appreciate the time!