Since LeBron James is expected to opt out of his contract and test free agency this summer, the Cleveland Cavaliers knew they had to shake things up to better align themselves for another championship run.

So, on the day of the trade deadline, general manager Koby Altman made not one, not two, but three deals to bring in new talent and ship off players who didn’t excel alongside James.

Sending off Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye and their 2018 first-round pick to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Cavs acquired Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. in perhaps the most shocking trade of the day. They then added wing Rodney Hood from the Utah Jazz and veteran guard George Hill from the Sacramento Kings as well.

Since the future of the franchise relies almost completely on whether or not LeBron stays in Cleveland past this summer, the ultimate question quickly became whether James approved of the moves.

Luckily for the Cavs, he did.

"I like the pieces we have coming in,” he told the media after the trades were announced. 

"I think we became a younger team, more athletic. We added some more shooting as well. So, we'll have to see how it meshes," James explained. "I like the pieces that we have coming in.”

Now, he believes it’s his time to bring everyone together.

"It's my job to get these guys integrated as fast as possible," James said on Friday. "I know the coaching staff and [coach] T Lue is going to do it as well, but it's my job to get these guys on the same page with us where we want to accomplish what we want to do. I look forward to getting them here. ... All four of them are pretty smart guys, and it should be fun.”

Coach Lue also has a crucial job in figuring out the team’s rotations. According to ESPN, Lue will continue to start JR Smith at shooting guard despite adding Hood and Clarkson, both of whom will make up a new second unit. 

Since Kevin Love is still out with a broken hand, the starting frontcourt will be based solely on matchups. Hood could start at the three alongside Smith with LeBron at the four against smaller starting units while Nance or Jeff Green could get the nod against larger squads with LeBron at the three. Tristan Thompson will continue to start at center for the time being.

It remains to be seen how the new-look Cavs will stack up against the rest of the league, but it’s safe to say that (at least on paper), they’re a much-improved squad.