In Bleacher Report’s offseason GPA piece, Andy Bailey broke down the Cavaliers offseason and what could end up bringing The Land back to the top.

Bailey started off saying, “The Cleveland Cavaliers didn't really have to do much to pass this summer's exams. They had the best record in the East, and all their most important players were already under contract.”

You really can’t argue with that logic.

Head coach Kenny Atkinson did a tremendous job in his first year at the helm to make sure that the Cavs were among the best teams in the NBA. 

With two premium guards in Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, the Cavs already have the hard part covered. Now it’s about building sustainable and winning players around them.

Bringing in DeAndre Hunter, who shot nearly 43% from 3-point range last season, during the trade deadline was certainly a big help.

And not only that, Center Evan Mobley is quickly becoming one of the NBA’s premier centers. He was the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2024-25, as well as making not just the All-NBA team, but his first All Star Game.

However, the biggest loss Cleveland suffered was losing Ty Jerome, who finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting and third in 3-point percentage, to the Memphis Grizzlies.

To replace that hit, the Cavs signed Lonzo Ball, who returned to basketball after being on the shelf for two and a half seasons with a debilitating knee injury.

You can argue that Ball is more of a wild card than an actual difference maker, but prior to going down, he was among the NBA’s most effective outside shooters.

Now with a full and healthy offseason, he can focus on refining his game instead of trying to get healthy.

To go with Ball, Cleveland also added forward/center Larry Nance Jr., who’s making his return to the franchise after spending time in Portland, New Orleans and Atlanta.

Nance, who spends his offseasons in Ohio, enjoyed the best seasons of his career while donning the wine and gold. But now at the ripe age of 33, don’t expect him to be nothing more than a role player and a locker room leader.

For Cleveland’s new addition section, Bailey graded the Cavs a ‘B-’ which seems fair all things considered.

In terms of the Draft, there wasn’t much that Cleveland could’ve done, only having the 49th pick. But the Cavs made the most of it by selecting Tyrese Proctor out of Duke who, if used in the right way, could be a solid replacement for Jerome.

He shot 40% from beyond the arc in his junior year, and was a critical piece to the Blue Devils capturing the ACC Title.

Bailey gave Cleveland’s Draft a ‘B’ given how limited its resources were.

Even though the Cavaliers finished with the best record in the East, the end result wasn’t as they had hoped. 

Cleveland opens its season on October 22 at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks.