Written by Sam Amico

---

By the end of summer, we'll have a pretty good idea of what is going on with the Cleveland Cavaliers. But right now, they're a mess.

The latest news came Friday, when former general manager Danny Ferry and the team parted ways after five years.

Chris Grant was promoted into the role, but the scuttlebutt around the league is Grant will be GM in title only. Now, league insiders say, the Cavs are set to go after a big name who will act as both president of basketball operations and coach.

It's pure speculation at this point, but the names being mentioned most: Miami Heat president Pat Riley, University of Kentucky coach John Calipari and University of Louisville coach Rick Pitino. That's not surprising, considering those three names are usually brought up every time there's a job opening. The only guy who's missing is Larry Brown.

But, of course, this summer is all about LeBron James. (Rumor is, the league is also staging its annual championship series -- but who really cares about that?)

According to sources, there are a couple of scenarios involving the Cavs' next move. Needless to say, both center around whether or not they can re-sign You Know Who.

Scenario No. 1: James tests free agency and decides to stay in Cleveland, which can offer him $30 million more than anyone else. If that happens, the Cavs will likely go the aforementioned route of bringing in a big name to coach and make all the major personnel decisions.

 

Scenario No. 2: James signs with another team, Grant stays on as GM, and the Cavs hire someone to coach, and coach only, as they save money while entering a rebuilding stage.

Those are the most obvious theories -- but there's clearly a lot more to it than that.

For one, it doesn't seem like Gilbert is the rebuilding type. So he is likely to try to land a big name before James ever makes his own decision known. Gilbert certainly is the type who would pony up enough cash to bring in a star like Calipari, even without James, giving the Cavs leverage prior to the start of the free-agency period July 1.

If that doesn't work, and James signs elsewhere, don't expect Gilbert to fold it in. He is more likely try to make deals to bring in someone else's best player before the season begins.

As one NBA insider said, Gilbert is currently calling the shots behind the scenes. It's one reason, sources say, that he and Ferry decided to part ways. And when it comes to Ferry, know this: If LeBron loved him, he would still be the GM.

Then there's Grant, who for the time being will be little more than Gilbert's "yes" man. That could change, but it doesn't seem all that likely. At least, not anytime soon.

"The Cavs' decisions this summer are going to be worth billions and billions of dollars, and (Grant) is gonna be your point man?" asked one NBA insider. "He's a nice guy and a hard worker, but he's never done this before."

In other words, now is no time for learning on the job -- which is why Grant very well could still be second, or even third, in command when it comes to basketball decisions.

As for today, Gilbert said the Cavs are "moving quickly" in their search for a new coach. He said the team is "taking calculated risks" and is "very forward looking."

He even said that he is optimistic James will re-sign with the team.

Finally, Gilbert added that the Cavs are in a "very unique and unprecedented situation. It's gonna take a lot of different dynamics and paths."

At some point, it all might make perfect sense; it very well could all come together next month. James could re-sign and another attempt at a dynasty in Cleveland could begin.

But that's hard to envision right now -- because right now, the Cavs are as disjointed as they've ever been.