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The Cleveland Cavaliers didn't make many major changes this offseason, but that doesn't mean there wasn't plenty of attention surrounding the team. For a while, the biggest question in Cleveland wasn't about a trade or a draft pick. It was whether a familiar superstar might be coming back home.
That possibility is obviously off the table. The Cavaliers were among the teams waiting to see what LeBron James would decide. Instead, Cleveland will move forward with a roster that looks a lot like the one that finished last season.
But, that's okay. Sometimes the biggest offseason move is simply keeping the group together.
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The Cavaliers still have the foundation that made them one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. Donovan Mitchell remains the engine, while Evan Mobley continues to develop into one of the league's most unique frontcourt players. Darius Garland and the rest of the rotation give Cleveland plenty of talent, but the pressure now shifts to getting more out of the pieces already in place.
The team also expects to keep James Harden around after he opted out of his current contract. A new agreement would give Cleveland another experienced guard who can create offense and help take some pressure off Mitchell.
The only notable departure was Dean Wade, who moved on in free agency. Cleveland replaced that roster spot by adding Meleek Thomas through the draft, giving the team another young player to develop.
The Cavaliers don't have the excitement of a dramatic roster overhaul, but that might not be a bad thing. Continuity means something, especially for a team that has spent the last few seasons building chemistry and learning how to handle playoff expectations.
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The next step is the difficult one. Cleveland has proven it can win during the regular season. Now it has to show it can make a deeper run when the pressure rises. The roster is talented enough to compete, but the margin between being a good team and a true contender is small.
The Cavs may not have landed the blockbuster addition they were waiting for, but they still have a chance to prove the answer was already on the roster.
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