CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from a previous story.
With a 123-109 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers concluded their 2020-21 NBA season with a 22-50 record.
With that in mind, let's take a look at five key questions the Cavs find themselves facing entering what could be a crucial offseason in Cleveland's ongoing rebuild.
Is Koby Altman the man for the job?
Koby Altman took over as the Cavs' general manager in the summer of 2017 after David Griffin's contract expired. While Cleveland returned to the NBA Finals for a fourth straight season in Altman's first season as general manager, the Cavs have amassed a 60-159 record in the three seasons since -- the worst mark in the league in that span by a 15-game margin.
While Cleveland was destined for a rebuild from the moment LeBron James left for Los Angeles in 2018, Altman's work as the Cavs' general manager has become the subject of debate. While he's made some solid draft picks -- without much lottery luck, no less -- Cleveland enters the upcoming offseason with a mix-matched roster that still lacks a true centerpiece to build around.
What's more is that the Cavs' culture has left something to be desired, with incidents ranging from Kevin Love's apparent unhappiness to the team trading Kevin Porter Jr. following a locker room incident to Andre Drummond being benched before ultimately being bought out. Factor in team chairman Dan Gilbert's track record of impatience and it's fair to wonder whether Altman will be running Cleveland's roster for a fifth straight offseason.
Can the Cavs move Kevin Love?
Love's legacy in Cleveland has already been established and it's not a matter of if, but when his jersey will be hanging in the rafters of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. But as far as the present is concerned, it's become clear that the 5-time All-Star's time with the Cavs has run its course and it would be best for both sides to go their separate ways.
The problem? It's been tough for either side to find a solution with two years and more than $60 million remaining on the four-year extension Love signed in 2018. That's a lot of money for a player to walk away from, as well as a lot of money for another team to take on in a prospective trade.
That, however, shouldn't stop Cleveland from trying and perhaps this will be the summer that years' worth of trade speculation regarding Love finally comes to fruition. At the very least, it's worth wondering whether the 32-year-old might be more amenable to a buyout similar to the one that Blake Griffin took with the Detroit Pistons earlier this year.
Will Collin Sexton get extended?
Following his third season in the NBA, Collin Sexton is eligible to receive an extension this summer and whether or not he does will be one of the more fascinating decisions of Cleveland's offseason. Selected with the No. 8 pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, the 6-foot-1 guard is coming off a career season in which he averaged 24.3 points, 4.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 60 games.
But while Sexton has undoubtedly established himself as a prolific scorer, determining his value as a long-term building block has been tougher to determine. And with the Cavs having publicly presented the Alabama product as their franchise player, many have speculated that Sexton will be seeking a max contract from Cleveland.
Signing Sexton to such a deal could have a significant impact on the rest of the Cavs' roster, especially with center Jarrett Allen entering restricted free agency and point guard Darius Garland up for an extension next offseason. It's also worth noting that even if Cleveland doesn't sign Sexton to an extension this offseason, he'll remain under contract with the Cavs for the 2021-22 season before entering restricted free agency next summer.
What will Jarrett Allen's new contract look like?
Acquired by Cleveland in the same four-way trade that sent James Harden from the Houston Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets, it didn't take long for Allen to become one of the Cavs' most promising young players. Appearing in 51 games for Cleveland, the 6-foot-11 center averaged 13.2 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks, posting the highest offensive and defensive win shares on the Cavs' roster.
Despite his obvious effectiveness, it's tough to gauge what the restricted free agency might look for the 23-year-old Allen considering the reduced emphasis that NBA teams have placed on centers. But should the Texas product receive an offer sheet, it's hard to imagine a scenario in which Cleveland wouldn't match it -- and that's only assuming the Cavs don't sign Allen to a new deal first.
Will the Cavs finally get some lottery luck?
Cleveland laid claim to the No. 2 slot in the NBA Draft Lottery in both 2019 and 2020, yet found itself picking fifth once the ping pong balls were drawn. This year, the Cavs will enter the lottery in either the No. 4 or No. 5 slot, depending on the results of a coin flip with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Regardless of the coin flip, Cleveland will enter the lottery with an 11.5 percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick and a 45.1 percent chance of securing a top-four pick. Based on the coin flip, the Cavs will also have the potential to fall as low as No. 8 or No. 9 in the draft once the ping pong balls are drawn.
How much luck Cleveland finds in both the coin flip and the draft lottery could go a long way toward determining their outlook for the future. Land a top-four pick and the Cavs could finally find the franchise player they've been lacking since James' departure. Drop for a third straight year, however, and Cleveland's ongoing rebuild could find itself delayed even further.