NBA 2018-19: 3 things we have learned from the Cleveland Cavaliers' season so far

The Cleveland Cavaliers are currently having to deal with the departure of LeBron James for the second time in less than a decade.

Back in 2010, LeBron left the team that drafted him, and the Cavs struggled to compete in the following years. The superstar eventually returned in 2014, and managed to bring a first NBA Championship to Ohio during the 2015-16 season.

LeBron has once again departed his home state, this time for the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles. Due to this, the franchise once again faces the huge challenge of staying relevant without the 14-time NBA All-Star.

The Cavaliers have already had an eventful start to the season, as the franchise fired head coach Tyronn Lue after a six-game losing start. Larry Drew has since been appointed as the permanent coach of the Cavs, although the team continues to struggle.

Here are three talking points from their disappointing season so far.

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#3 Every member of the roster is available for trade

The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking at a complete rebuild

Going into the 2018-19 season, the Cavaliers managed to keep the majority of their roster together; the Cavs wanted to continue to contend in the years after LeBron's departure. But the organization quickly changed their mind after a poor start, and they are now looking to offload as many veterans and high earners as possible.

J.R. Smith has been told that he can leave the team, while a number of other veterans have already been traded. George Hill was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team trade, while Kyle Korver was sent to the playoff-chasing Utah Jazz.

Rumors suggest that All-Star Kevin Love could be next, and the franchise are clearly willing to trade any member of their roster.

#2 LeBron James has been missed more than anticipated

LeBron James' departure is set to end the Cleveland Cavaliers run of NBA Finals appearances

Nobody doubted that the Cavaliers would struggle in the absence of the NBA's best player, although not many analysts expected the team to be this bad. Even the Cavaliers themselves believed that they could still be contenders for a playoff spot, as the franchise signed Kevin Love to a four-year, $120 million contract back in July.

Despite this, the Cavs have slumped to a 7-22 start, and the team currently sit 13th in the Eastern Conference Standings. Only the Atlanta Hawks and Phoenix Suns have a worse record; this has clearly not been the start to the season that Cavs executives imagined back in the summer.

Ultimately, the current plight of the team highlights what an incredible job LeBron did with a poor roster last season.

#1 The Cavaliers are in for a tough few years

The Cleveland Cavaliers have failed to compete without LeBron

No one doubted that the Cavaliers would be worse off without LeBron, although the team has tanked faster than expected. As previously mentioned, the extension of Kevin Love looked to be a signal that the team wanted to try and compete, but this has proved impossible, and the team now faces years of being out of the playoffs.

The Cavs now seem fully focused on getting rid of high earners, while acquiring draft picks that they hope will pay off down the line. The Philadelphia 76ers are currently reaping the benefits of years of tanking, and we are now likely to see the Cavaliers follow a similar path.

The next 3-5 years won't be fun for Cavaliers fans, as the team are unlikely to surpass 30 wins in a season. Just like in 2010, the years after LeBron's departure are going to be rough, although the superstar won't be coming back to help them this time.