Each team that didn’t win the NBA championship likely made some moves to improve themselves this off-season. As many fans might be aware, the Cleveland Cavaliers were left dead in the water after the departure of NBA legend LeBron James back in 2019. While many assumed that the franchise would fall to the bottom in the King’s departure, they bounced back into relevance last season after acquiring Donovan Mitchell.
The pairing of Donovan Mitchell with Darius Garland instantly transformed the Cavaliers into a playoff-level team. They finished last season with a record of 51 wins and 31 losses. Despite having the advantage in terms of seeding, the Cavs ended up losing to Jaylen Brunson and the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2022-2023 NBA playoffs.
This indicates that the Cavs still have quite a long way to go before winning a coveted NBA title. They have been quite active this off-season. With that being said, let us take a closer look at the moves they made and what the potential starting 5 could look like.
Can Max Strus and Emoni Bates be new parts of the Cleveland Cavaliers roster?
In order to improve the Cavaliers’ roster, the management made quite a few moves in the offseason. They acquired Damian Jones from the Utah Jazz. The Cavaliers also signed a G League player named Sam Merrill. However, there is no denying that their two biggest moves this season were trading for Max Strus and drafting Emoni Bates.
Many fans will remember Strus from his elite play with the Miami Heat throughout their NBA Finals run this season. Considering that the Cavs didn’t have to give the Heat any players in return, just draft picks, this is an excellent pickup for the Cavaliers.
Moreover, the drafting of Emoni Bates, who exceeded expectations during the summer league has certainly improved the young talent and potential. Here is what their lineup could potentially look like for next season.
Cleveland Cavaliers expected lineup for the 2023-2024 season:
- Donovan Mitchell
- Darius Garland
- Max Strus
- Caris LeVert
- Jarrett Allen
Cleveland Cavaliers 2023-24 season bench lineup:
- Emoni Bates
- Danny Green
- Evan Mobley
- Damian Jones
- Issac Okoro
- Ricky Rubio
- Sam Merril
- Isaiah Mobley
As we can tell, the Cavaliers’ roster is already quite talented and, more importantly, battle-tested. They will likely restrict the minutes of Emoni Bates, Damian Jones, and the others while giving Max Strus a bit more playing time. After all, he has already established himself as quite a good player in the league.
In any case, the Cavs will closely be watching how the starters are playing at the beginning of the season. If it is not up to expectations, they might try to switch things around by bringing Bates or Mobley into the starting lineup. We look forward to seeing what this Cavs team’s final starting lineup could be if they make the playoffs next season.