A new report indicates that Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman has been a key part of the effort to create a second NBA bubble for the eight teams that won’t be resuming their 2019-20 seasons in Orlando, Fla. later this month.
Jason Lloyd of The Athletic indicated that Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is reportedly exerting pressure on the team to improve after two weak years. That might explain Altman’s central role in trying to get his team back on the court.
“Koby Altman, according to sources, has been one of the driving forces behind the NBA creating something for the Delete Eight, the eight teams left out of the NBA’s return-to-play bubble in Florida,” Lloyd wrote. “The league is making progress toward a sort of Summer League for those eight teams in Chicago this fall.”
It seems fairly unlikely that veterans on the roster would enter the NBA’s second bubble if it ends up being created. That means that the Cavs’ young core would gain valuable on-court experience.
That development aspect is especially important this season, since the Cavaliers have been shut down since the NBA halted its season on March 11.
The 22 teams that will compete in Orlando, Fla. will be able to get back on the court, something that has put the eight excluded teams at a developmental disadvantage.
Altman’s push is surely angled at allowing Cavs players like Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, Kevin Porter Jr. and Dylan Windler the opportunity to get back on the competitive court and avoid a lengthy layover.
Prior to the shutdown of play, the Cavaliers had shown some signs of improvement under new Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. The hope is that getting this valuable development period will allow that progress to continue.
