ABOUT DAN GILBERT

Since LeBron James left for the L.A. Lakers via free agency, the Cavs have engaged in a massive, expensive rebuilding plan.

James departed in July 2018.

Since then, the Cavs have:

1. Added two first round draft picks, including Houston’s lottery-protected choice in 2019.

2. Added six second-round picks over the next four years.

3. Picked up several veterans, most being players with bad contracts who have no future with the Cavs.

The exception is Matthew Dellavedova, whom the front office and coaching staff considers a key veteran and role model for younger players such as Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance.

But there was something else happening, something very few owners are willing to do.

The Cavs have added $34.4 million in contract obligations over the next two years.

Let’s repeat that: As the Cavs have one of the worst records in the NBA as they sort through the rubble of LeBron’s departure, they ADDED $34.4 million to the payroll, according to an NBA source.

That’s how they added those eight draft picks – by using their salary cap room and owner Dan Gilbert’s check book to take on bad contracts.

Consider their most recent deal, with Houston. The Rockets were desperate to dump Brandon Knight’s contract.

In the summer of 2015, Knight signed a 5-year, $70 million deal with Phoenix. Once a top prospect who was in the same 2011 draft as Kyrie Irving, Knight has been crushed with several injuries.

Knight is coming off ACL knee surgery. He’s played only 12 games this season. His salary this season was $14.6 million. In 2019-2020, it’s $15.6 million.

The Cavs said, “We’ll take Knight, you give us your first-round pick.”

The trade became complicated, with Sacramento also involved and the Cavs sending Alec Burks to the Kings.

But the big payoff was the first-round pick.

A HISTORY LESSON

The Cavs have done something like this before.

It was the idea of Chris Grant, the Cavs’ general manager in 2010, when LeBron left the first time, going to Miami as a free agent.

The Cavs had an older roster, very little of it useful for a rebuild.

Grant and his assistant David Griffin spent several months studying how to add draft picks. They came up with the idea of dealing for a bad contract/good pick type of trade.

The biggest was when they sent Mo Williams, Jamario Moon and others to the L.A. Clippers for Baron Davis (bad contract) and an unprotected first-round pick in 2011 (a great pick).

Gilbert agreed to pay $12 million of the Davis contract to make the deal work. It was the Clipper pick that won the 2011 lottery – and became Kyrie Irving.

They made other trades like that. By the time Grant was fired in February 2014 and replaced by Griffin, the Cavs had acquired six future picks in the first round and five more in the second round.

I detailed much of this in my book “The Comeback.” Yes, the Cavs hoped LeBron would one day return. But either way, they needed picks in the draft to trade and/or use for young players to revive the franchise.

The Cavs are taking the same approach now, but teams are not as willing to trade first-round picks. So the price (in bad contracts) is even higher.

THE 2019 DRAFT

1. The Cavs have their own first round pick. It could be as high as No. 1. It probably won’t be any worse than No. 5.

2. The Cavs have Houston’s first-rounder, could be anywhere from 15-to-25...and that’s a guess.

3. The Cavs have no second-rounders this year, but six from 2020-23.

4. The Cavs could use the Houston pick and some of those future second-rounders to possibly trade up in the first round.

5. The Cavs have a chance to add two promising young players – and maybe more. Suppose they are lottery lucky, ending in the top three. Zion Williamson? R.J. Barrett? Those are the big names at the top of most big boards.

6. But a middle first round pick? I like Virginia’s De’Andre Hunter. He’s 6-foot-7, athletic and plays on a no-nonsense Tony Bennett team where defense and unselfishness are prized. He is averaging 15 points, 5.4 rebounds and shooting 53 percent – 43 percent from 3-point range. He had 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting in his first matchup against Duke.

7. I heard Cavs GM Koby Altman and others from the front office will be at Saturday’s Virginia/Duke game. There are at least six pro prospects in that game. Some scouts love Duke point guard Tre Jones because of his defense. He is averaging 8.5 points, 5.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 2.0 steals – shooting 44 percent. He could be a good pick late in the draft.

MORE SPENDING

1 .The Koby Altman front office has been creative. They are relentlessly pursuing picks. The Cavs have cap specialist Brock Aller and analytics expert Jon Nichols doing projections. Assistant General Manager Mike Gansey also is scouting. Once the season ends, the hunt for picks will resume...with the Cavs trying to target teams willing to trade.

2. The Cavs didn’t enter the year looking to be among the worst teams in the NBA. If so, they would have traded Kevin Love instead of signing him to a 4-year, $120 million extension. They waited until the losing started before dealing veterans George Hill, Kyle Korver and Rodney Hood.

3. They also signed Larry Nance to a 4-year, $47 million extension. They want Nance to be a part of their rebuilding plan. They want to see what the Cavs look like with Love on the court. Jordan Clarkson also has impressed the front office with his hustle.

4. The Cavs don’t want to be in the luxury tax with their spending, but they are willing to come close. And Gilbert is arming his front office to find picks and players to rebuild. The Cavs are not going to attract franchise-changing free agents. They have to build their team in the draft and through trades. That’s why they are taking this approach.