CLEVELAND — For the most part, the Cleveland Cavaliers' 2023 offseason has been met with a mixed reaction from pundits and fans alike.
But among those who have been impressed with the Cavs' recent run of acquisitions is one of the league's most prominent analysts, ESPN's Zach Lowe.
During an episode of his "Lowe Post" podcast earlier this week, Lowe discussed Cleveland's recent moves with his colleague, Kevin Pelton. In doing so, Lowe had plenty of praise for the Cavs, who have acquired swingman Max Strus, forward Georges Niang and center Damian Jones, in addition to re-signing Caris LeVert, since the offseason began.
"I like all the moves for Cleveland," Lowe said. "I had them as one of the clear winners of the offseason."
Of the Cavs' moves, perhaps the most polarizing has been the sign-and-trade to acquire Strus from the Miami Heat. In particular, many have argued that giving the 27-year-old swingman a four-year, $62 million contract was an overpay by Cleveland, especially with the DePaul product coming off an underwhelming postseason with the Heat.
Lowe, however, disagrees.
"I don't get the pushback. Strus was getting the midlevel [exception] which was 12 or 13 [million per year] or whatever it is. So you're giving him a couple more millions of dollars a year, which adds up to 8-10 [million] over the course of the deal," Lowe said. "I think Strus is a good player. They needs this theoretical 3-and-D stopper guy who doesn't exist to them. Like, it's hard to get those guys.
"Strus is at least competitive on defense. He's tough. He's strong. He understands gameplans, he executes them. He's not a siev defensively. He's fine. And he can really really shoot. I know he slumped in the playoffs last year. I think he's a good shooter, he might not be a great shooter... At that money, I'm totally fine with that deal. I don't really understand the pushback on it."
Regardless of your thoughts on the Cavs' offseason, what isn't up for dispute is its significance. Following a strong 51-31 regular season, Cleveland was eliminated by the New York Knicks in five games in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, leading to speculation regarding Donovan Mitchell's future with the franchise.
With the additions of Strus and Niang, in particular, having bolstered the Cavs' shooting around Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, expectations in Cleveland will be the highest they've been since LeBron James left the franchise in 2018. And when it comes to determining whether or not the Cavs lived up to those expectations, the moves they've made this offseason could prove pivotal.
"I think it's more good than bad, for sure," Pelton said. "This year, there's going to be real expectations. And if they don't win a playoff series, I think it would be a little bit of a disappointment in Cleveland."