After their 2016 NBA Finals loss to the Golden State Warriors, the Cleveland Cavaliers might have to reevaluate their team and the value of the players and their contracts. The Cavaliers have the NBA’s highest team payroll by more than $8 million.
Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith, Kevin Love, LeBron James, and Kyrie Irving — the team’s starting five — combine for about 76 percent of the team’s overall payroll. The team’s next-highest paid player is Iman Shumpert and, for his skill set, Iman Shumpert may be the man that must be moved.