Brandon Weems may have inside track on Cavs’ GM vacancy

Mike Gansey is headed to Philadelphia after being named the 76ers’ president of basketball operations. That leaves a general manager vacancy in Cleveland, and the answer may already be in the building.

According to sources, Brandon Weems is viewed as the obvious internal candidate to fill the role.

Weems has been with the Cavaliers since 2015, currently serving as assistant general manager with oversight of the team’s amateur scouting operation. He handles college and international scouting, assists with NBA Draft preparation and player rankings, and has been a key part of the front office through the 2016 championship, the rebuilding years and the current run as an Eastern Conference contender.

The Cavs have drafted well during his tenure. Darius Garland. Evan Mobley. More recently, Jaylon Tyson and Tyrese Proctor. That is not a coincidence.

Before joining the Cavs’ front office, Weems coached under John Calipari at Kentucky, where he was part of the 2012 national championship staff. He also served as an assistant at Oakland University before transitioning to the NBA side.

His roots in the organization run deep. So do his roots in northeast Ohio.

Weems is an Akron native who attended St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, where he and LeBron James were childhood friends. They played peewee football together and won multiple state championships in basketball.

The LeBron factor

That connection matters this offseason, as James decides on his future.

Koby Altman has made clear he wants to run things back in Cleveland and believes this group can win a championship with Donovan Mitchell as the centerpiece. But the obvious wildcard is LeBron, who is an unrestricted free agent after reportedly feeling undervalued at times by the Lakers organization.

A Weems promotion does not guarantee a LeBron reunion. But it certainly does not hurt.

More importantly, Weems has earned this on his own merits. He is a known commodity within a front office that values internal stability and continuity. Promoting from within would be entirely consistent with how Altman has built this organization.