The Cleveland Cavaliers do not have pick in the first or second round of the 2016 NBA draft – having traded the former to the Boston Celtics (who in turn traded it to the Phoenix Suns) and the latter also to the Celtics. Which prompts fans of betting on basketball to wonder whether the brand new NBA champions need one. The higher-ups at Cleveland should be more concerned about retaining the services of Finals MVP LeBron James, who is a free agent with a $24 million player option – which grants James the power to decide if he wants to stay for another year or become a completely unrestricted free agent.
Should James stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers – and that appears to be the case – the team would continue to be a favorite to bet on at SBG Global sportsbook. “I love it here. I love being here. I love my teammates,” the King told Cleveland.com. Sadly, there was no follow-up question as to whether that included Kevin Love, but more on that later. Free agents can start negotiations with teams on July 1st and can sign on July 7th. James can earn in excess of $30 million next season with a new contract, and the Cavs brass will surely be eager to please him.
We just mentioned Kevin Love, who is under contract with the Cavaliers – as are Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, and others. However, several betting on basketball experts believe that it would behoove both Love and the team if they were to part ways. For instance, Neil Greenberg of the Washington Post thinks that the Celtics, the Suns, or the Portland Trailblazers would all be a better fit for the power forward. And there is no denying that Cleveland seemed to be better off without him in the starting lineup.
But that is a deceptive assessment that could be fairly applied to his gameplay versus a single team; the Golden State Warriors. On the one hand, the Warriors were last season’s must-beat team – thus requiring everybody on the roster to bet at their best against them. On the other hand, the Cavs did beat the Warriors, which – objectively or subjectively – makes all other concerns moot.
Something else that might make the whole Love affair moot? When asked about Love’s future in the team, Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue replied “oh, he’s going to be here.” Then again, people betting on basketball can’t always predict the future, and it’s not like there wouldn’t be a slew of teams hoping to snatch an All Star-caliber player such as Love, who holds the longest streak for consecutive games recording double figures in points and rebounds since the ABA merged with the NBA. But again, even a Loveless Cavs would be a favorite at SBG Global sportsbook.