Analysts vary while grading Cavs' offseason moves | Jeff Schudel

Jul. 8—"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" dates to third-century B.C. Greece, according to phrases.org.uk, in other words before ESPN and the Internet.

The phrase is a good jumping-off point to examine how different outlets have graded what the Cavaliers have done this offseason. To recap:

The Cavaliers re-signed guard/forward Caris LeVert to a two-year, $36 million contract. They traded Cedi Osman and Lamar Stevens plus a second-round pick to the Spurs, and separately a second-round pick to Miami, in a three-team trade to acquire forward Max Strus from the Heat. Strus signed a four-year, $63 million contract in a sign and trade.

The Cavs also signed forward Georges Niang to a three-year, $26 million deal and guard Ty Jerome to a two-year, $4.6 million deal.

The Jerome signing got little attention around the league. Jerome, 6-foot-5, 195 pounds, has played in 157 games (seven starts) over four NBA seasons with Phoenix, Oklahoma City and Golden State. He appeared in 45 games (two starts) last season for the Warriors and averaged 6.9 points and 3.0 assists in 18.1 minutes per game.

CBSSports.com gave the Cavs an "A" for their moves.

"Cleveland's goal this offseason was to come away with one viable wing to pair with their two star guards and their two star bigs," the report says. "They ultimately landed two. Neither Georges Niang or Max Strus are especially strong defenders, but both will work wonders on an offense that took the seventh-fewest 3-pointers in the NBA last season.

"LeVert was overpaid slightly at $16 million per year. It's hard to justify money beyond the mid-level exception for players who don't shoot or defend, but on only a two-year deal, he's extremely tradable."

Bleacher Report gave the Cavaliers a C-minus. The site was critical of trading Osman.

"... That fifth (starting) spot was a mystery for much of the 2022-23 campaign," Bleacher Report wrote. "Adding Max Strus and Georges Niang gives them a couple options for that role, but it's kind of tough to understand why Cedi Osman didn't get more of a shot at it.

"Cleveland was better with him on the floor, in part because he hit 37.2% of his 3-point attempts in 2022-23. He also showed some intriguing playmaking chops in earlier seasons."

Bleacher Report threw the Cavs a bone for drafting Emoni Bates with the 49th pick.

"A nod to the hype surrounding him as a high school prospect," the report says. "Taking him with the 49th pick is a more than fine flier."

The Sporting News gave the Cavs a B-plus for signing Niang.

"Niang is a good role player off the bench," The Sporting News wrote. "His lack of athleticism has earned him the nickname 'The Minivan,' but he plays with emotion and was a fan favorite in Philadelphia.

"He has good positional size at 6-foot-7, and he's a career 40% 3-point shooter. He gets those attempts up quickly and often when he's on the floor.

"With shooting at such a premium, this is a good value deal. This is a nice fit for Niang, too. His defensive shortcomings can be covered up with the Cavs' fierce interior defenders."

Sporting News also gave the Cavs a B-plus for the Strus trade with this commentary:

"Strus became a playoff hero (with Miami) thanks to his hot 3-point shooting and opportunistic cuts to the rim. He's a capable defender who finally gives the Cavs the stability at small forward that they've been seeking after rotating unsuccessfully through so many options last season."

The various sites had no observations on the decision to sign Jerome.

—Altman said re-signing LeVert was his No. 1 priority this offseason. LeVert was acquired near the trade deadline in February 2022. He has averaged 30.2 minutes and 12.4 points in 93 games with the Cavs.

"Caris was the No. 1 offseason target for us to resign him to make sure he was in the fold," Altman said. "It's really valuable to have a sixth starter, a guy that can step in and do anything for you at a given notice. And I think he's been a very, very underrated acquisition for us for what he's been able to do, and to keep him with this group was really key for us."

LeVert played in a career most 74 games in 2022-23. He averaged 12.1 points a game.

I didn't know that

... until I read my Snapple bottle cap:

Maine is the United States' biggest producer of toothpicks. ... Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise. ... Norway once knighted a Penguin. His name is Nils Olav III, and he lives in the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland. ... A full moon is nine times brighter than a half moon. ... A cat's nose is ridged with a unique pattern, similar to a human fingerprint. ... There are more saunas than cars in Finland.