Overreaction Theater: What happens to Cavs if Warriors sweep?

[86MaxwellSmart]

They could try a 3 way trade to get Carmelo....send Love here, we send players/picks to NY

won't happen, but LeBron could throw a temper tantrum and threaten to leave again.

http://www.espn.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=yarpdmjb

[oldtype]

I imagine two ways the Cavs can improve significantly

1) trade Kevin Love for another star who is a better fit against the Warriors. For example, you could flip Love to Indiana for Paul George.  Replace a liability on defense with an elite defender, free Lebron from having to guard KD and allow him to focus on offense. I'd be decently confident rolling out something like Irving-Smith-George-James-Thompson against the Warriors.  Indiana does it because they take a star who is 99% going to leave in a year and replace him with one who still has 3 years left on contract.

2) sign one of Lebron's buddies off the buyout pile on a minimum contract. This would most likely be Carmelo Anthony, or (much less likely) Dwayne Wade.  Melo would take the deal because the Knicks are still paying him anyway.  That said, I'm not sure how this actually makes Cleveland any better given that Melo would just have to take Love's minutes. Maybe they could couple with option 1 and run out a death lineup of Irving-Smith-George-Melo-James and just watch the world burn.

[celticsclay]

I do fear something like Wade and Melo going to Cleveland on near minimum deals and the league barreling towards a 4th straight finals matchup. I would be done with the NBA for a while if that happened. I would also not entertain any legacy discussions for the players involved (in a positive light) cause that is just a mockery of the league (more than it already is)

[jpotter33]

I do fear something like Wade and Melo going to Cleveland on near minimum deals and the league barreling towards a 4th straight finals matchup. I would be done with the NBA for a while if that happened. I would also not entertain any legacy discussions for the players involved (in a positive light) cause that is just a mockery of the league (more than it already is)

That'd suck, but I really don't see Carmelo accepting a buyout. I think he'll play out next year, exercise his ETO, then ring chase from there.

I also think it's unlikely that Wade opts out. IIRC, his recent divorce really drained him of money, which is one of the reasons why he was so set to make as much as possible this year. He also already has his three rings, so he's not nearly as desperate as someone like Carmelo.

I could see them revisiting the Love for Carmelo deal this summer, though, even though it doesn't really make sense at this point. Lebron will get what he wants if this series goes badly. I could see them doing something like a Carmelo and Lee for Love and Smith deal.

I'm actually a big Lee fan, and I think he's a much better fit at the 2 there than Smith, all while being a bit cheaper, too. I think Love to Melo is overall a downgrade, but Love has always been the scapegoat of the group.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

I do fear something like Wade and Melo going to Cleveland on near minimum deals and the league barreling towards a 4th straight finals matchup. I would be done with the NBA for a while if that happened. I would also not entertain any legacy discussions for the players involved (in a positive light) cause that is just a mockery of the league (more than it already is)

That'd suck, but I really don't see Carmelo accepting a buyout. I think he'll play out next year, exercise his ETO, then ring chase from there.

I also think it's unlikely that Wade opts out. IIRC, his recent divorce really drained him of money, which is one of the reasons why he was so set to make as much as possible this year. He also already has his three rings, so he's not nearly as desperate as someone like Carmelo.

I could see them revisiting the Love for Carmelo deal this summer, though, even though it doesn't really make sense at this point. Lebron will get what he wants if this series goes badly. I could see them doing something like a Carmelo and Lee for Love and Smith deal.

I'm actually a big Lee fan, and I think he's a much better fit at the 2 there than Smith, all while being a bit cheaper, too. I think Love to Melo is overall a downgrade, but Love has always been the scapegoat of the group.

wade and gaby divorced? he divorced his first wife about 8yrs ago. she didn't get much money either, it was a messy situation, sadly entertaining though.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

So to be clear, I don't really think this will happen, but it is an interesting discussion point (especially averaging one game a week right now). If the Warriors do stay this dominate and do a 4 game sweep what happens to the Cavs? They are already clearly in win now mode as one of the oldest teams in the league. What could they do to get closer to Warriors?

Trade Love?
Let all their old vets go (jefferson, smith, korver, williams, frye)?
Try to get rid of Irving for Paul and Carmelo?

If they do get embarrassed with a sweep would be tough to imagine a summer without major changes.

blow it up! lolololololol

[SparzWizard]

They'll probably add Melo, Wade, and/or Blake Griffin lol

[SHAQATTACK]

Lebron is shown the be correct ....it .is good to be th KIng and be right all the time...

  ........HELP. ....I needs sumbody .....helpppppppppppppppp...pleeeeeeeeease.


Shoot ....Lebron is only TWO more stars away from contending!  Imagine that !   Soooo close.

Get dat  man sum HELP already !   

[SHAQATTACK]

They'll probably add Melo, Wade, and/or Blake Griffin lol

Paul, Wade and Melo

[Phantom255x]

They'll probably add Melo, Wade, and/or Blake Griffin lol

How the hell can they add Melo AND Griffin? They barely have cap space.

Now yeah, maybe Melo, Wade, and another guy on an exception (Gibson?)

I honestly think Love is the odd man out if they get swept. He probably was last season before they came back from 3-1 down.

[Ogaju]

They should trade Lebron to the Celtics for Brown, Fultz and Brooklyn 2018.

Celtics say no

[Celtics4ever]

The NBA won't let a sweep happen, they will give a huge amount of foulshots to the Cavs and get GSW in foul trouble to lengthen the series.   It may be 1 or two games but they are trying to pretend these are two dynasties clashing and marketing that.

[the TRUTH]

The NBA won't let a sweep happen, they will give a huge amount of foulshots to the Cavs and get GSW in foul trouble to lengthen the series.   It may be 1 or two games but they are trying to pretend these are two dynasties clashing and marketing that.

I agree with this. It's possible that the Warriors play so well in the games that the NBA wants to hand to the Cavs to sweep Cleveland anyway, but I'd be very surprised to see a sweep, and mildly surprised if it doesn't go 6 games.

But if the Cavs get swept, you can bet the narrative will be a ton of finger pointing at LeBron's teammates. He's a phenomenal player, but whenever he doesn't win the title, he's the complete opposite of what a leader is supposed to do - look in the mirror when things go wrong and look out the window (to praise others) when things go well. He'll avoid any blame whatsoever, and publicly and privately blame it on anyone else he can - Lue, the refs, his teammates, etc.

[Kaz]

I could see Lowry joining the Cavs, sliding Kyrie to SG (or visa versa).

I don't think Melo would be a good fit because he wants the ball in his hands just as much as Kyrie and LeBron.  Wade is plausible, but I don't know how he really feels about the way LeBron left Miami to make a strong case there.

[hodgy03038]

I could see Lowry joining the Cavs, sliding Kyrie to SG (or visa versa).

I don't think Melo would be a good fit because he wants the ball in his hands just as much as Kyrie and LeBron.  Wade is plausible, but I don't know how he really feels about the way LeBron left Miami to make a strong case there.

I don't think Wade is plausible because he can opt-in to a huge contract that he could never get elsewhere, certainly not in Cleveland where they are already into luxury tax.

Melo is another one with a huge contract that financially doesn't fit with Cleveland. As a teammate I am sure LBJ would love it and Melo would conform.