The suspense of the highly anticipated summer of LeBron is over.
LeBron James announced late Sunday evening that he intends to sign a 4 year 153.3 million dollar contract with Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers.
It was reported that Dan Gilbert was blindsided by the timing of the announcement but they have been planning for his possible departure since the 2016 championship parade. With a now young nucleus of Colin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., and Cedi Osman, the Cavs are better prepared now to move forward.
The focus begins with Rodney Hood’s impending free agency. Although Hood is restricted, he has several interested teams that may be willing to offer him a lucrative contract. Then there is Kevin Love, who the Cavs publicly stated that going forward they have no intention of trading him.
So where does this leave them now? If they intend on trying to push forward towards building a championship contender, then there are still some playmakers available on the market to fill the void left by James. Tyreke Evans and Michael Beasley come to mind, both possessing the ability to score and make plays for others.
The hurt of losing one of the greatest players in NBA history has to hurt, but this time around the Cavs have a championship banner hanging in the rafters; 4 eastern conference championships and 4 finals appearances with players who now have championship experience. If the ownership group and management are able to make smart decisions and acquire more talent, the Cavs will be just fine.
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