Cavs.com Offseason Primer

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Every summer, some top-line stars switch locales – and usually change the NBA’s landscape in the process. The Wine and Gold know a little bit about that – using a massive free agent acquisition and blockbuster trade to transform from a squad that missed the playoffs in four straight seasons to a true Championship contender for the foreseeable future.

The biggest free agent name to change addresses this summer will not have that effect on his new team. They’re already a Championship contender.

That name is four-time All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge, who bolted Portland after nine stellar seasons in the Pacific Northwest to sign with the Spurs this summer. The Spurs also inked free agent rugged forward two-time All-Star David West, who spent the last four years in Indiana. The new-look Pacers also dealt center Roy Hibbert to the Lakers as they look to transform from a plodding halfcourt team into something a little sportier. The addition of Monta Ellis, who spent the last two seasons in Dallas, should help.

The Mavericks, who had a dramatic summer they’d probably rather forget, inked former Net, Deron Williams – (and re-signed J.J. Barea) as they pick up the pieces from the Rajon Rondo Experiment. (Rondo signed with Sacramento this offseason.) Another Texas team making a sizeable splash was Houston – which dealt for Ty Lawson, the third-leading assist man in the league last year. Lawson joins a backcourt that already contains James Harden, Patrick Beverley and Jason Terry.

Another Western Conference club that added some headliners to its already-interesting roster is the L.A. Clippers, who capped an already-odd summer by signing Paul Pierce and Josh Smith and trading for Lance Stephenson, who spent one underwhelming season in Charlotte. There aren’t many head coaches that can handle a cast of characters like the one that comprises the Clippers. Doc Rivers is one of them.

Things weren’t as dramatic in the Eastern Conference this summer. But the Milwaukee Bucks continued building a very nice young team, adding former Pistons big man, Greg Monroe – who was one of just ten players to average a double-double for the entire 2014-15 season.

North of the Border, the Raptors signed DeMarre Carroll away from Atlanta and Cory Joseph from the Spurs, but lost the reigning Sixth Man – Lou Williams – as a free agent to the Lakers.

For every big name that switched cities and affected the Association’s panorama, the list of players who stayed put is just as critical.

That breeze the country felt in early July was thousands of collective sighs of relief when the game’s greatest player, LeBron James, re-signed with the Wine and Gold after rejoining his hometown team last summer. Not long after, Kevin Love, who’s still rehabbing from left shoulder surgery, inked a long-term deal with Cleveland – putting the reigning Eastern Conference Champs directly back in the favorite’s seat when Training Camp tips off in just over two weeks.

Aside from Cleveland’s dynamic duo, the biggest name to re-sign with his current club is two-time All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year, Marc Gasol, who stayed with the Grizzlies.

Three Eastern Conference All-Stars who decided the grass wasn’t greener include Atlanta’s Paul Millsap, Brooklyn’s Brook Lopez and Chicago’s Jimmy Butler.

But no story could match the histrionics that took place in Texas and Southern California this summer – as DeAndre Jordan made an oral commitment to the Mavericks but was wooed away during the moratorium by his former squad. Jordan re-signed with the Clippers, leaving Chandler Parsons and Mark Cuban holding the bag.

San Antonio – often dubbed the “Patriots of the NBA” – don’t usually make major changes in the offseason, preferring to build patiently around their Big Three. But this year, Gregg Popovich’s squad went all-in – dropping the big bucks on LaMarcus Aldridge before signing David West to a cheap deal. The Spurs said goodbye to Tiago Splitter, Aron Baynes and Marco Bellinelli and brought in Ray McCallum Jr. and Jimmer Fredette – both in need of some career resuscitation. They came to the right place.

When the Spurs signed Aldridge, the Blazers began looking towards a rebuild – trading away Nicolas Batum and Steve Blake while watching Arron Afflalo, Robin Lopez and Wesley Matthews depart via free agency. In their place, Portland dealt for Mo Harkless, Gerald Henderson, Noah Vonleh, Mason Plumlee and Mike Miller.

The Blazers found a trade partner this summer in the Charlotte Hornets – a team also trying to find its way. The Hornets drafted Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminski and signed Tyler Hansbrough and Jeremy Lin as free agents. They traded for Batum, Spencer Hawes and Jeremy Lamb while saying goodbye to Bismack Biyombo, Matt Barnes, Henderson, Vonleh, Lance Stephenson and Mo Williams – who rejoined the Cavs as a free agent this summer.

The Lakers are in a unique spot – trying to win one more Championship for Kobe Bryant while rebuilding the squad with some solid young pieces. This year, they’ll get both Bryant and Julius Randle back after suffering season-ending injuries. They drafted Ohio State standout, D’Angelo Russell along with Larry Nance Jr. Mitch Kupchak also signed Lou Williams away from Toronto while adding some muscle in the paint with Roy Hibbert and Brandon Bass.

And then there’s the Knicks – who are still trying to iron out the Phil Jackson Era in New York. This past June, Jackson drafted Kristaps Porzingis and Jerian Grant before signing Arron Afflao, Robin Lopez, Kevin Seraphin, Sasha Vujacic and Derrick Williams; bidding adieu to Andrea Bargnani, Cole Aldrich, Shane Larkin, Alexy Shved and Tim Hardaway, Jr., who was shipped to Atlanta.

The Cavaliers made major overhauls last summer – and that seemed to work out pretty well. So this offseason’s front office mantra has been “getting the band back together.” The Wine and Gold didn’t make any seismic shits this summer, re-signing LeBron, Love, Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith, James Jones and Matthew Dellavedova. (The big question still remaining is Tristan Thompson’s fate.) Other than that, the Cavs made some minor moves to buttress an already-loaded roster – signing veterans Mo Williams and Richard Jefferson along with Russian big man, Sasha Kaun.

One of the Cavs main competitors, the Chicago Bulls, didn’t lose a single player over the summer – drafting Bobby Portis and re-signing Aaron Brooks, Mike Dunleavy and All-Star guard Jimmy Butler.

The NBA’s version of the Hermit Kingdom is the Utah Jazz, who are quietly building a talented, defensive-minded young squad out in Salt Lake City. Aside from drafting the third of four first-rounders from Kentucky in Trey Lyles, their biggest offseason move was re-signing Joe Ingles.

The Thunder have a rock-solid roster when it’s healthy. So aside from re-signing Enes Kanter and Kyle Singler, it was a quiet offeason in OKC.

The World Champion Warriors drafted UCLA’s Kevon Looney, re-signed Draymond Green, Leandro Barbosa and Marreese Speights and traded David Lee to Boston in a quiet summer by the Bay. Of course, if it ain’t broke …

This summer, some recent Top 10 picks were on the move. The top overall selection of the 2006 Draft – Andrea Bargnani – traveled across the Hudson River and will now don the black-and-white of the Brooklyn Nets.

Jordan Hill, the 8th overall pick in 2009, joins the Pacers after three years in L.A. Wesley Johnson (No. 4, 2010) stays in the Staples Center – going from the Lakers to the Clippers and Greg Monroe (No. 7, 2010) makes his debut with Milwaukee this season after spending his first five seasons in Detroit.

Derrick Williams, taken one pick behind Kyrie Irving in 2011, tries to revive his career in the Big Apple; Bismack Biyombo (No. 7, 2011) starts over with the Raptors, as does Jimmer Fredette (No. 10, 2011) in San Antonio.

Thomas Robinson, the former Kansas star taken No. 5 overall in 2012, has played on four teams through his first three years in the league. He’ll try to stop that trend with the Brooklyn Nets.

Two top 10 picks from last year were also on the move this summer. Noah Vonleh, tabbed with the No. 9 pick in 2014, was shipped from Charlotte to Portland. Nik Stauskas, taken one pick later, was traded from Sacramento to Philly over the summer.

There are a few players who didn’t make a move this offseason, but they’ll be welcomed with open arms when Training Camp opens in late September.

After going down with a gruesome right knee injury during a Team USA intrasquad scrimmage, Pacers All-Star forward Paul George valiantly tried to give it a go down the stretch last season before shutting it down. With George on the floor, the Pacers are a completely different animal. It’ll be interesting to see what they’re like with George back and their twin towers out of the Conference.

Jason Kidd’s up-and-coming Bucks took Chicago to the brink in their First Round matchup last spring – and they did that without the No. 2 overall pick in last June’s Draft – Jabari Parker – who tore his ACL in mid-December. Parker, who was well on his way to Rookie of the Year honors before the injury, should make Milwaukee an even more daunting challenge this season.

The Lakers’ Julius Randle – drafted five spots after Parker – was also making an early impression before a season-ending injury sabotaged his rookie season. The standout lefty forward from Kentucky will be looking to pick up where he left off last season – and will have an improved Lakers’ roster around him when he does.

The Wine and Gold will be eager to get Anderson Varejao back on the floor after an Achilles injury ended his campaign after just 26 contests. The Wild Thing is likely already chomping at the proverbial bit to return to the hardwood – and eventually the postseason.

After 11 teams cleaned house last summer, only five coaching changes were made this offseason – although those five spots were filled by some pretty heavy-hitters.

Hardnosed former point guard Scott Skiles – who spent five seasons with the Magic as a player – takes over a young, talented Orlando squad. In New Orleans, Alvin Gentry takes over for Monty Williams, who led the Pelicans to the postseason last year.

Two high-profile college coaches make the leap into the big leagues this year, although Chicago’s Fred Hoiberg is certainly no stranger to the Association. (He is “The Mayor,” after all.) Hoiberg played ten seasons in the NBA, including four for the Bulls – as he takes over for Tom Thibodeau, whose club was outdone by LeBron James once again last May.

In Oklahoma City, they don’t get much more high-profile than Billy Donovan – who finally makes the leap from collegiate hoops after leading Florida to a pair of National Championships.

Finally, there’s the Cavaliers’ old friend Mike Malone – who was an assistant under Mike Brown from 2005-10 – and gets his second head coaching opportunity in Denver, taking over for another Brown assistant, Melvin Hunt, who was the Nuggets’ interim coach after Brian Shaw was released early last March.

Finally, what 2015 offseason compendium would be complete without listing the teams that traded reserve guard Luke Ridenour this past summer?

This past offseason, the scrappy 6-2, 175-pounder, who was originally selected by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 14th overall pick of the 2003 Draft -- and has often given the Cavs fits -- was traded by the Hornets, Magic, Raptors and Thunder.

He is currently not on an NBA roster.