CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert will not be with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2019 NBA Draft and won’t be involved in the process leading up to June 20 either, continuing to focus on his recovery following a stroke on May 26, league sources told cleveland.com.

Gilbert remains hospitalized in the Detroit area and Quicken Loans CEO Jay Farner released a statement Wednesday night saying Gilbert’s recovery will “take time.”

“Dan’s recovery is a process that will take time -- but we are all confident that he will meet this challenge head on as he always does,” Farner wrote.

While Gilbert hasn’t had contact with members of the Cavaliers at this point, the team is still moving forward with its same off-season plan, which was hatched long before Gilbert was hospitalized.

According to sources, Gilbert was involved in discussions shortly after the 2018-19 season and gave the front office the go-ahead to be aggressive in improving the team -- even if it means taking on more salary. Nothing has changed on that front. Despite not being involved in the current pre-draft process and individual workouts that have been taking place at Cleveland Clinic Courts since Monday, Gilbert is also aware of the team’s overall approach with two first-round picks and the desire to purchase a second-rounder. Those collaborative conversations took place weeks ago.

The Cavs currently have the No. 5 and No. 26 picks in the first round.

Another big piece of Cleveland’s summer plan centers on trading exiled shooting guard JR Smith. As has been the case since Gilbert took ownership in 2005, he’s given general manager Koby Altman and staff the freedom to go into the luxury tax by taking back a hefty contract, as long as it comes with a future asset or two.

Smith has a partially guaranteed contract that is appealing to teams looking to shed salary. The Cavs continue to field calls from those interested, including the Miami Heat, sources said. During the season, Cavs executive Brock Aller compiled a lengthy list of teams that could be a fit for Smith’s contract and there are upwards of 15. The acquiring team would then cut Smith before the end of this month, putting them on the hook for just $3.8 million of the $15.6 million he is owed. Smith’s contract represented a team’s final shot to create cap room heading into July free agency.

The Cavs’ payroll was around $123 million this past season. It’s slated to be one of the highest in the league this upcoming year, with about $134 million committed.

On May 26, Gilbert underwent a catheter-based procedure and then was immediately admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. In Farner’s statement Wednesday night, he spoke of Gilbert maintaining his "strong sense of humor and focus on constant improvement.” Farner relayed a story that Gilbert requested “his favorite beverage” while in the hospital and when he learned it couldn’t be provided, he “insisted that a review of the hospital’s beverage best-practices be completed.”

Another update with the next steps in the process will be coming at a later date.

The founder of Quicken Loans, the nation’s largest online mortgage lender, Gilbert has built a billion dollar business empire with numerous company holdings in Ohio and Michigan.

Under Gilbert, the Cavs have made five NBA Finals appearance and won the 2016 NBA title -- the first major sports title by a Cleveland team since the Browns won the NFL championship in 1964.

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