NBA

Cleveland Cavaliers offseason recap: Champs still sit atop the East

AJ Neuharth-Keusch
USA TODAY Sports
LeBron James celebrates after a stoppage in play against the Detroit Pistons during the second quarter in game two of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena.

With the bulk of NBA free agency in the books, USA TODAY Sports explores how all of the offseason moves will alter each team as we look ahead to the 2016-17 season.

What do you think the starting five of your favorite team should be? Head over to @usatodaynba on Twitter and tell us.

Projected starting five: Cleveland Cavaliers

(Statistics from 2015-16 season)

  • Kyrie Irving - Points: 19.6, assists: 4.7, rebounds: 3.0, steals: 1.1, field goal percentage: 44.8%
  • J.R. Smith - Points: 12.4, rebounds: 2.8, assists: 1.7, steals: 1.1, field goal percentage: 41.5%
  • LeBron James - Points: 25.3, rebounds: 7.4, assists: 6.8, steals: 1.4, field goal percentage: 52.0%
  • Kevin Love - Points: 16.0, rebounds: 9.9, assists: 2.4, blocks: 0.5, field goal percentage: 41.9%
  • Tristan Thompson - Points: 7.8, rebounds: 9.0, assists: 0.8, blocks: 0.6, field goal percentage: 58.8%

Added - James (re-signed), Richard Jefferson (re-signed), James Jones (re-signed), Mike Dunleavy, Chris Andersen, Kay Felder

Lost - TImofey Mozgov, Matthew Dellavedova, Dahntay Jones, Joe Harris

Biggest acquisition - James

The Cavs weren't ever in any danger of losing their hometown hero, but with his official re-signing — for three years, $100 million — Clevelanders can breathe a sigh of relief.

Biggest departure - Dellavedova

The aggressive, hard-nosed backup point guard put together the best season of his three-year career in 2015-16, averaging 7.5 points and 4.4 assists in 24.6 minutes off the bench. He'll be missed, but at the end of the day, he wasn't worth the four-year, $38 million price tag offered by the Milwaukee Bucks.

X factor - Smith (unsigned)

Smith, one of the few NBA players left on the free agency market, averaged 12.4 points, shot 40% from beyond the arc (2.6 makes per game) and played a pivotal role in Cleveland's Finals upset of the Golden State Warriors. And while it’s widely assumed he’ll be back in the wine and gold next season, he's the only main piece of the Cavs championship squad whose future isn't set in stone.

Offseason grade - A

Check out our other offseason recaps: Atlanta Hawks • Boston Celtics • Brooklyn Nets • Charlotte Hornets • Chicago Bulls

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