CLEVELAND -- Even before the NBA Finals came to an end, LeBron James began to send a clear message to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
If James is going to remain in Cleveland past this summer, improvements -- perhaps drastic ones -- to the team's roster will need to be made.
"From a talent perspective, if you're looking at Golden State from their top five best players to our top five players, you would say they're stacked better than us," James said a day ahead of the Warriors' sweep-completing Game 4 victory over the Cavs on Friday night.
"Let's just speak truth. Kevin Durant. You've got two guys with MVPs on their team. And then you've got a guy in Klay [Thompson] who could easily be on a team and carry a team, score 40 in a quarter before. And then you have Draymond [Green], who is arguably one of the best defenders and minds we have in our game. So you have that crew. Then you add on a Finals MVP coming off the bench, a number one pick in [Shaun] Livingston and an All-Star in David West and whatever the case may be. So they have a lot of talent."
James went on to note that the Cavs, too, have talent. But by the time Golden State had put the finishing touches on its second straight Finals victory over Cleveland, it was clear it wasn't enough -- and won't be should James desire to continue competing for championships.
In the aftermath of the Cavs' Game 4 loss, James was peppered with questions about this summer, when he can opt out of his contract and become a free agent. And while the 4-time MVP said his family will get a bigger say in his decision than ever before, he also made it clear he very much plans to remain in "championship mode."
"I still have so much to give to the game," he said. "When you have a goal and you're able to accomplish that goal, it actually -- for me personally, it made me even more hungry to continue to try to win championships, and I still want to be in championship mode. I think I've shown this year why I will still continue to be in championship mode."
How James defines "championship mode" could be open to interpretation. After all, the Cavs are coming off a fourth straight Finals appearance.
The bad news for Cleveland is that the Eastern Conference -- particularly the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers -- is only getting stronger, making the Cavs' path to the Finals all the more tougher. After all, it took a historic postseason from James for his team to just get back to the Finals this season -- only to be swept by Golden State -- and he's well aware than anywhere he lands will become an instant title contender.
The good news: Having been competitive in two of their four games against the Warriors, perhaps the Cavs aren't as far away as they might seem. In a sport where a single player can affect so much, Cleveland may only be one or two moves away from shrinking the gap on Golden State
Of course, making those moves will be easier said than done. And at this early stage in the offseason, it's too soon to know what names would even be available to the Cavs.
But general manager Koby Altman has ammo, namely in the form of the No. 8 pick in the upcoming draft. Cleveland also has some enticing contracts it can trade, such as point guard George Hill's $19 million expiring deal.
Whether or not that will be enough to help the Cavs make the improvements necessary to convince James Cleveland is still a place he can compete for championships will be determined in the coming weeks.
But at this point, they can't claim to be unaware of what it will take to keep their star player from leaving.
