The NBA is no longer an eight-month season. NBA free agency consumes the summer, and the storylines that unfold due to things like the Olympics and social media make it a year-round sport.
Because of this, NBA front offices are no longer taking the sport one season at a time, they are looking two or three or even 10 years down the road attempting to acquire the best assets at all times in order to make their teams successful not just this season, but for several down the line.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are entering the 2016-17 season attempting to defend its throne as NBA champions but have some very obvious holes to fill on its roster. And with the team being so far into the luxury tax, the current type of roster construction is only sustainable for so long.
This season, the Cavs may start to take a more proactive role in planning not just for a title defense, but for a more long-term timeline of success.
With that in mind, here are 10 assets the Cavs may look to acquire this season in order to bolster its roster for a title defense, or to ensure that the team reaches the NBA Finals for years to come.
10. Draft Picks
Draft picks become more and more valuable each year as teams become better at finding talent and figuring out ways to develop that talent.
As it stands currently, the Cavs own its 2017 first-round pick, but have given up rights to its second-rounder to the Boston Celtics. As Draymond Green has consistently proven, second-round picks can often times be just as valuable as first-round picks, especially if those picks fall outside of the NBA draft lottery.
The Cavs have several players on the roster that could be used in order to grab a few draft picks, particularly second-rounders. Players like Iman Shumpert jump to mind in this scenario. Should Mo Williams decide to return this season, the Cavs may look to offer him to a young team that seeks the presence of a veteran in the locker room.
Even a player like Tristan Thompson could draw not just a second-rounder, but perhaps even a first-rounder should the right deal present itself.
With the Cavs already into the luxury, draft picks are an easy way to save money while filling up the roster with talent for years to come.
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