10 worst NBA front offices

Don’t let back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals and the 2016 NBA Championship fool you because the Cleveland Cavaliers are not a well-run organization. Without LeBron James’ decision to return to Northeast Ohio and bring Cleveland a professional championship in 2014 NBA free agency, Cleveland still wouldn’t be a playoff team since 2010’s Decision.

Owner Dan Gilbert couldn’t get James an All-Star caliber teammate during his first tenure in Cleveland (2003-10). Gilbert openly criticized James on his decision to leave Cleveland for the well-run Miami Heat in 2010 NBA free agency, burning bridges/jerseys that Cleveland will never get back.

Thrice since The Decision in 2010 did Cleveland wind up with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft. Selecting Kyrie Irving in 2011 was a no-brainer than any team would have been able to make. Anthony Bennett No. 1 overall in 2013 might go down as the biggest draft bust all-time.

While it ultimately did pan out in the 2016 NBA Championship, the Kevin Love for Andrew Wiggins trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves could have been another bad front office decision by Gilbert and general manager David Griffin. Love doesn’t really fit with the current Cavaliers roster, despite having top 15-level talent. Wiggins will be an All-Star in year three with Minnesota after going No. 1 overall to Cleveland in 2014.

Much of what Cleveland has done in the last two years and three offseasons is pander to James, well, because the Cavaliers organization has to. Without James, this would remain a bottom five team in the Eastern Conference.

The Cavaliers will stay the team to beat in the East for as long as James is the best player in the game, Irving continues to grow into a superstar at point guard, and key players like Love and center Tristan Thompson continue to step up in big moments. Cleveland wins in spite of its chaotic front office collective.

Next: 8. Charlotte Hornets.