The playoffs for the Cleveland Cavaliers were seen as a microcosm of their season.
Despite a roster overhaul in February, the results in the playoffs mirrored those of the team throughout the year: pushed to seven games by the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics, a sweep of the Toronto Raptors and now a sweeping loss in the Finals to the Golden State Warriors.
Cleveland now has less than three weeks to figure out what went wrong, how this team can improve and what the future holds -- with or without LeBron James.
More summer focus: Click here for every team so far
The resources to improve the roster
The question is simple. Is this roster, as constructed, with a full training camp and the addition of the Brooklyn pick, good enough to compete not just next year but in the future against Boston, the Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto, and Indiana in the Eastern Conference? And that doesn't include competing against Golden State and the Houston Rockets in the West.
For LeBron James, aside from finances (a difference of $50 million if he leaves) and the appeal of staying home, that will be the question when he decides to return to Cleveland or sign with a new team this offseason. What James will see is a Cleveland team that is a year older (currently the second oldest in the NBA) and with limited resources to improve despite having the eighth pick in the draft.
Including James, the roster returns 10 guaranteed contracts from a team that reached the Finals for a fourth consecutive season.
Barring a trade, the big offseason addition would be the Nets pick and three minimum salary players. Role players like Jeff Green would likely be lost to free agency, and restricted free agent Rodney Hood could be a cap casualty because of the luxury tax and his inconsistent play. The Cavaliers do have $5.8, $2.5, $1.4 and $1.3 million trade exceptions available to use.
With regard to the Brooklyn pick, unless James gave a commitment before the draft that he would sign a new contract, the Nets pick is still off-limits when it comes to making a shortsighted trade, even if James told management that he would opt in for next season.
Despite the familiarity, Cleveland will be faced with the same roster restrictions that have haunted this team since James' arrival in 2014:
A payroll that projects to be at a minimum of $145 million
A luxury tax bill of $74.5 million
The reluctance to use the $5.3 million tax midlevel because of the luxury tax
The untradable contracts such as those of George Hill, JR Smith and Tristan Thompson.
The roster makeover that GM Koby Altman completed in February is likely not going to happen again.
The options for LeBron James
Besides signing a five-year, $205 million contract (or short-term contract) to remain in Cleveland, there are three different paths that James can take when it comes to his free agency.
Sign with a team with cap space
The pool of teams when it comes to James and cap space is two: the Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers.
The Lakers (see their offseason profile) have the clearest path to add James based on their $48 million in cap space and the ability to add another All-NBA-level type talent -- but at the cost of Julius Randle or draft picks to have a team take on the contract of Luol Deng.
In Philadelphia (see its offseason profile), the 76ers are $9 million below the $35 million James max salary and would need to trade a player like Jerryd Bayless to create the room and also renounce the free-agent cap hold of JJ Redick. Philadelphia could also stretch the Bayless contract over three seasons but would have to find a home for Justin Anderson.
Opt in and trade
Like Chris Paul last year, James could opt in to his $35.6 million contract before June 29 with the intent of being traded to a team that does not have the $35 million slot to sign him as a free agent. For example, would Philadelphia, if it received a commitment from LeBron James before July 1, trade Robert Covington, Markelle Fultz and Bayless for James? Despite taking on additional financial costs with the luxury tax, Cleveland would get the top pick from the 2017 NBA draft (Fultz) and James' replacement (Covington). The 76ers could still have $17 million to fill out their roster and bring back Redick. Because Covington's $16.7 million salary in 2017-18 decreases to $10.4 million in 2018-19, the trade would have to occur before June 30.
James signing an extension six months (the first date allowable) after the trade would be comparable to his having signed as a free agent with Philadelphia but with a total salary compensation comparable to his having returned to the Cavaliers.
The breakdown is as follows:
James would also retain his no-trade clause with an extension, including the 2018-19 season.
Sign and trade
The 2011 CBA all but eliminated a team from acquiring a player in a sign-and-trade deal.
Enforced in 2013-14, a team like Houston could only acquire James if its salary post-transaction does not exceed the $129 million hard cap. The Rockets entering the offseason have $78 million in guaranteed contracts, not including the $56 million in free-agent holds of Chris Paul, Clint Capela and Trevor Ariza.
The challenge for a team like Houston is fitting James and Paul's $70 million combined salary, $30 million for Harden, a projected $20 million for Capela and puttng together a roster to stay under the $129 million hard cap. A sign-and-trade scenario is unrealistic based on the hard cap restrictions, and if James is traded, it would come with him opting in to his contract and eventually being moved.
The finances of keeping the roster together
LeBron James is not the only person who has to decide what is in his best interest for the future.
When owner Dan Gilbert looks at the bottom line, he will see $178 million in luxury taxes since 2007-08, including $136 million spent since 2014-15 when James returned back to Cleveland. Despite the high number, Gilbert would be facing a historic financial commitment next year if this roster stayed together and Rodney Hood is signed at a conservative $10 million per year as a free agent.
Here's a breakdown of salary and the luxury tax since James returned:
What is next if no LeBron?
There is reason to believe that Cleveland has its contingency plan in place for the day LeBron James eventually leaves. With the in-season reluctance to move the Brooklyn pick that would give the roster short-term relief, Cleveland has made it clear it is preparing for life post-LeBron.
The lottery pick would sell James on the future or be used as an insurance policy for his possible replacement. However, keep in mind that since entering the NBA in 2003, James has played with only four players selected in the first round when he was on the roster: Luke Jackson, Shannon Brown, JJ Hickson and Norris Cole. Jackson (10th pick in 2004) was the only one of those players selected in the lottery.
If James departs, Cleveland would then return nine players and $102.4 million in guaranteed contracts and will still be over the salary cap. Now faced with the decision of keeping the roster intact (without James) and competing for an eighth seed or beginning the process of rebuilding, the front office will face the following questions and decisions this offseason:
The future of Kevin Love
One asset that Cleveland did not have in 2010 when James departed for Miami was an All-Star like Kevin Love.
Now the front office will need to explore the future of the forward. Love who will turn 30 in September, has a $25 million player option in 2019-20 that he would likely opt out of if James leaves and the Cavaliers' roster begins to resemble Minnesota's during Love's time there. Unless Love is the focal point at forward, which is unlikely with how the roster will begin to transform, expect Love to be the next domino to fall from the team.
The same also could be said of veteran Kyle Korver. The 37-year-old continues to play at a high level coming off the bench and would be a trade target for playoff teams if he were made available. Korver also has appeal because his $7.5 million contract in 2019-20 has only a $3.5 million guarantee.
The restricted free agency of Rodney Hood
Cleveland should have two concerns getting into a long-term partnership with Rodney Hood. Besides his second year in Utah when he appeared in 79 games, Hood has missed an average of 25 games per season and has been plagued with durability issues.
Injury history aside, Hood's play has been inconsistent in his three months with Cleveland, much like his time in Utah. The small forward sometime looks like a player who can be a solid starter or sixth man in the NBA -- and also one that you tend to forget is on the court, which was shown by his limited role during the playoffs. There is a reason why Utah elected to go with forward by committee using Jae Crowder and Royce O'Neale and chose not to go into free agency and commit to a contract in the $12 million to $14 million range.
Allowing Hood to go in free agency, however, would only open up a roster spot and create financial flexibility starting in 2019-20, not this season. The Cavaliers are over the cap with or without Hood signed to a new contract.
The $50 million in contracts
The Cleveland front office learned at the deadline the difficulty of trading the contracts of Tristan Thompson and JR Smith.
Thompson, the starter last season (and in a total of 338 games in his tenure), turned into a spectator in the first-round loss with only 22 minutes played in three playoff games. Though Thompson had a solid second-round series against Toronto, his contract is still deemed untradable if Cleveland is looking to upgrade its roster. Now with a cap hit of $17.5 million and $18.5 million, can Thompson revert back to a consistent rotational player or will Cleveland have $36 million in dead cap space on the books for the next two seasons?
Smith is the wild card on the remaining roster. Owed $14.7 million next season and with $3.9 million guaranteed in 2019-20, does the veteran turn into a mentor or a distraction? Despite less money guaranteed on his contract in comparison to Thompson, there is no market for the shooting guard in a trade unless Cleveland wants to take back undesirable contracts.
Cleveland would be best to let both players sit on its books and recoup its losses when the contracts are over. Or for Smith, waive the guard next offseason and incur a cap hit for the part of the salary that is guaranteed.
The risk outweighed the reward when it came to George Hill. The risk was the $19 million owed to the point guard next season and the small guarantee the following year.
The reward would have been Hill providing a veteran presence during the playoffs and stability for a rotating door of point guards that Cleveland witnessed this season.
The core of young players
Except for Rodney Hood, each of these players is under contract for the minimum through 2019-20, and they give Cleveland a starting point to rebuild.
The future cap breakdown without LeBron James
What Cleveland does with restricted free agent Rodney Hood could decrease cap space in future years and put the Cavaliers close to the luxury tax next season.
The tax threshold projects to be $123 million, and it is critical for the Hood salary to be in the $10-12 million range for the Cavaliers to remain under it.
The committed salary in 2019-20 takes into account that Cleveland would waive George Hill, JR Smith, and Kyle Korver, and that Kevin Love would decline his $25 million player option.
One thing that Cleveland should be cautious of is James deciding on an opt-in and trade. Taking back players in a trade (unless a third team is found) would likely see Cleveland pay a luxury tax once again but without James on the roster.
Here is the breakdown of the Cavaliers' cap situation post-LeBron:
1. Includes Kevin Love opting out of his contract and JR Smith, George Hill and Kyle Korver waived. The cap space factors in the Larry Nance Jr. cap hold and 2018 first-round pick.
2. Includes Ante Zizic and the 2018 Nets first-round pick.
Summer cap breakdown
Dates to watch
Don't expect a decision on the player option of LeBron James until close to June 29, the last date to opt in or out of his contract.
Even if word comes before June 29 that James will enter free agency, the forward will not file paperwork until the last date possible. Opting out earlier would leave James exposed if he suffered a career-ending injury as a free agent or if a possible trade were to occur.
Expect the Cavaliers to extend Rodney Hood a $3.47 million qualifying offer by the June 30 deadline. Hood will be a restricted free agent once they do.
The signing of Okaro White at the end of the season was more about giving the forward a tryout period during the summer league. White has an Aug. 5 trigger date that would guarantee half of his $1.5 million contract for next season.
Cleveland also has until June 29 to decide on the team option for Kendrick Perkins. The $2.4 million salary next season is non-guaranteed, even if the Cavaliers elect to exercise the option.
Restrictions
Because its own first-round pick was traded to the Lakers, Cleveland is not permitted to trade the Nets pick until the night of the draft.
However, the Cavaliers are allowed to trade the draft rights of the player selected immediately, with the only restriction coming if that player signs his first-round contract. Then the team would have to wait one month from the time the contract was signed to make the trade.
James is the only player on the roster who has a no-trade clause and a 15 percent trade bonus. Both would go away if he opted out of his contract. James would not be eligible for a no-trade clause if he signed with a new team.
The trade bonus would be voided if he opted in to his contract and was traded.
The Cavaliers do not have cash to send out in a trade. Their $5.1 million allotment was used in the trade with Atlanta and Sacramento.
Cleveland can agree to buy the rights of a draft pick on the night of the draft and make the trade official on July 6 when the moratorium is lifted.
Extension-eligible candidates
Despite having four players eligible -- Larry Nance Jr., Jordan Clarkson, JR Smith and Kevin Love -- Cleveland will not be in the business of giving out extensions this offseason.
The benefit of holding off on a new contract for Nance is the low $6.8 million cap hold in 2019 and only $69 million in guaranteed contracts on the roster. Extending Nance would carve into potential cap space.
The draft assets
With or without LeBron James, the Brooklyn pick in June should be a foundational player either for a Cleveland team trying to get back to the Finals next season or as part of a rebuild.
Here's how ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz have Cleveland picking in the 2018 draft:
No. 8 (from Brooklyn): Michael Porter Jr. | SF/PF | Missouri
Next season, Cleveland owes Atlanta a first-round pick (top-10 protected) from the Kyle Korver trade. The pick will transfer to 2020 (top-10 protected) if not conveyed and turn into a 2021 and 2022 second-round pick if the Cavaliers' first-round conditions are not met.