Kobe Bryant Altman, president of Cavaliers basketball operations, was recently interviewed to review the 2017-18 season when he was first promoted to general manager of the Cavaliers.
"I don't know if you remember, but when I finally got the position of general manager, the news broke on the same day that Carey (Owen) was applying for a deal. So I remember getting text messages from friends and family, 'Congratulations, but what are you going to do now?' So that season was like 5 seasons for me, it was about my growth and the challenges I faced. Because that's the first challenge, how are we going to deal with All-Star point guards we no longer want to stay on? How do we deal with this? You've got to deal with it, your season started with fear.
"And then by the middle of the season, you've got a good understanding of what kind of people you have, whether you have a chance to play back, is this team good enough to play back? I would say that we had a record of 31 wins and 22 losses at the trade deadline, but there was a fog on the pitch, the team didn't feel like a place where people could be happy every day, it felt like we were moving slowly in the mud. We have to make some trades.
"I think people feel like I've chosen a direction that is not to trade that Nets, to preserve the future, but at the same time to make those trades and try to get my team's strength back to the top. Those transactions certainly helped us get back to state, remember? After finishing those trades, we went through a four-game winning streak and LeBron (James) was happy. After we made those trades, the atmosphere in the team was fun.
"The difference is, regarding that draft pick, I didn't have a chance to trade a player who would change the situation, there is no player in the market that I think can really give us the upper hand in the championship power. So, people feel like I'm not making a deal to improve our strength to make us qualitatively change, I'm saving the future. But that kind of trading opportunity just didn't come. But we were able to reach the Finals, it was an incredible four-year journey, and I'm very grateful to all the players, not just LeBron, but also the incredible veteran players we used to have, to help us win a championship and go through those wonderful moments. Altman said.