In the piece, Lloyd describes the severed Relationship between Cleveland’s megastar and those running the franchise with numerous examples.

But according to Lloyd , James legitimately did not know since he has no real relationship with Gilbert or general manager Koby Altman.

Beyond James’ broken relationship, Gilbert’s role atop the team has baffled and frustrated many within the organization:

Gilbert has slowly taken more and more control of the franchise with each subsequent general manager, according to Lloyd , who reports that people believe that it’s no coincidence that the Cavaliers’ front office is now mostly made of 30 year olds who have been thrust into an overwhelming situation.

Gilbert views that pick as insurance for James’ departure, even though Brooklyn currently only has the eighth-worst record in the league with no incentive to tank.

The Vertical’s Shams Charania reports that James was committed to finishing this season in Cleveland no matter what.

There are deals that Cleveland can make between now and Thursday’s deadline, and there is another level of effort that the Cavaliers can put forward once they reach the postseason, especially for James himself.