Breaking down the Cavs' stellar offseason

​​The Cleveland Cavaliers have relied on subtle moves during a stellar offseason so far.

Why it matters: The New York Knicks dominated Cleveland in the 2023 NBA Playoffs in what had been expected to be a close series.

• A starting small forward and an improved bench should make Cleveland a true contender next season.

What they did: The Cavs re-signed sixth man Caris LeVert and improved the bench by adding free agent guard Ty Jerome and trading for Utah Jazz center Damian Jones.

• The team also signed small forwards Georges Niang, one of the best three-point shooters in the league, from the Philadelphia 76ers, and traded for Miami Heat playoff standout Max Strus.

Zoom in: The Cavs used their second-round NBA draft pick on Emoni Bates, once considered the country's best high school player before off-court issues hindered his college career.

• The hope is Bates can still reach his initial potential and prove to be a steal of the draft.

Meanwhile, Eastern Conference contenders the Heat have lost key players, the Milwaukee Bucks must break in a new coach, and the Philadelphia 76ers are set to lose James Harden.

Yes, but: The Boston Celtics got stronger by adding Kristaps Porzingis.

• And the Portland Trail Blazers could trade star Damian Lillard to the Heat or 76ers.

💭 Troy's thought bubble: With better role players, the key now is Darius Garland. I think he could be a better all-around player than Donovan Mitchell.

• Call me crazy, but the Cavs remind me of the 1973 Knicks, who won a championship behind Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe.

💭 Sam's thought bubble: My heart aches for Cedi Osman and Lamar Stevens, whom the Cavs traded in the Strus deal, but I can't deny the shooting upgrade.

• Plus: I don't know how many minutes Jerome will play, but I love that we snatched him from the Golden State Warriors.

What's next: The Cavs could still trade center Jarrett Allen, but president of basketball operations Koby Altman seems happy with the team's roster.