By hiring Jones, the Cleveland Cavaliers have made a courageous move in leadership. They gave contract extensions to their General Manager Koby Altman and his front office staff. This decision, made by owner Dan Gilbert, comes as a recognition of the organization’s sustained growth and recent successes, including securing the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Koby Altman has been with the Cavaliers since 2017. It’s been a huge coup, for he has been active in steering the future of his new squad’s roster since then. He first came to national attention when he selected two-time All-Star guard Darius Garland in 2019. The year after that, Altman selected Evan Mobley. Mobley would go on to win the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2021. All of these major purchases have poured a wealth of competitive advantage into the Cavaliers.
Beyond accumulating drafting talent, Altman has taken a proactive approach in trades. He acquired center Jarrett Allen in a 2021 trade with the Cavs, immediately shoring up the team’s interior D and depth. The acquisition of All-NBA superstar Donovan Mitchell in 2022 further solidified the Cavaliers’ position as a formidable contender in the league.
Altman’s efforts extend beyond player transactions. He brought on Kenny Atkinson as head coach, who went on to win the 2016-17 Coach of the Year award. Beyond Atkinson’s leadership, the Cavaliers have surprisingly made tremendous strides and extensive intelligent development on the court.
Altman and his staff just recently received contract renewals. As nearly all of these deals were wrapped up by Bret Just of WME Basketball in the days leading up to the playoffs. That would be the third extension Altman. His stewardship earned him a promotion to president of basketball operations in 2022, a move that showed the faith Gilbert and the ownership group had in him.
Gilbert’s commitment to building a winning franchise is demonstrated not just in smart personnel moves, but considering the franchise’s infrastructure as well. The Cavaliers are on the cusp of enjoying the benefits of a new, state-of-the-art practice facility. This handsome building will be 210,000 square feet and its construction is underway. This facility will provide both training and player development that will help propel the team to a top competitive standard.
Additionally, Gilbert has long been on the leading edge of growing basketball opportunities at all levels in Cleveland. Most recently, he has led a charge to bring a WNBA team to town. This new initiative is part of a larger and more ambitious vision for basketball in the area.
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