Cavaliers' starting lineup costs more than most teams' entire roster
Dan Gilbert is shelling out as much as $160 million to make another run at the title
By
Matt Moore
•
1 min read
After the Cavaliers signed J.R. Smith to a four-year, $57 million deal Saturday, the Cavaliers waived Toney Douglas and effectively have settled their roster to start the season. Mo Williams, Timofey Mozgov and Matthew Dellavedova are the only departing rotation players, and the key components of the champs all return.
And what a pricey squad it is. It turns out that the Cavaliers have more money in their starting unit than a lot of teams do on their entire rosters:
Cavs' starting lineup (Irving-Smith-LeBron-Love-Thompson) will make about $100M..more than 18 teams' entire rosters, including Warriors
— Bucci Mane (@Buccigross) October 15, 2016
Including luxury tax concerns, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is set to pay a salary and tax estimated at $160 million. It's a credit to Gilbert, who said he would pay to put a championship team on the floor, that he kept his word and did so in what is not the most lucrative market in the league, far from it.
Gilbert and GM David Griffin are treating the Cavaliers like a championship organization, one that pays the premium for players it needs to compete for future titles.
Sure, some of it is influenced by LeBron James and the standard he has set, but it seems notable that Mickey Arison in Miami elected to jettison Mike Miller with the amnesty provision, and Gilbert just shelled out for J.R. Smith, who was great for the Cavs last year but always carries the baggage of his career with him.
Cleveland is the place that pays to compete.
