The mistakes Dan Gilbert made pushed LeBron James out of town once before, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are at risk of history repeating itself.
Bleacher Report’s Ken Berger wrote Gilbert is “firmly in charge of basketball decisions once again” while first-year general manager Koby Altman is “along for the ride.”
During the 2017 offseason, Gilbert parted ways with then-GM David Griffin — who wanted more control of the roster, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com.
“He wanted Gilbert to get out of the way when it came to trades and contracts. Gilbert wanted Griffin to do a better job communicating to ownership, which suggests Gilbert had no intention of taking a back seat.”
Perhaps even worse for Cleveland, it seems Gilbert could be running LeBron out of town because of his relationship with Isaiah Thomas.
Berger reported the Cavs owner was the driving force behind the Kyrie Irving trade. Plus, Thomas has become a favorite of Gilbert, and the connection isn’t helping what is already a volatile locker room.
LeBron will exercise his player option at the end of the season to become a free agent, and the continue unrest surrounding the Cavs means there’s no guarantee he re-signs.
Gilbert immediately became a target after LeBron left for the Miami Heat, and that’s sure to happen again if LeBron leaves this summer.