Adam Silver: Cavs' 2018 All-Star bid contingent on arena upgrades

After a few forgettable, LeBron-less years in the wilderness, the Cleveland Cavaliers are back with King James in tow and on the cusp of the NBA Finals.

As if to stamp their seal on their official return to relevance, the Cavaliers put forth a bid this season to host the 2018 All-Star Game at Quicken Loans Arena (The Q).

"Having major events at The Q of this magnitude and being able to handle them is a defining point for our community," Cavs CEO Len Komoroski said after submitting the bid.

Well, not so fast, says NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who does not believe the Cavs' arena is, in fact, equipped to deal with an event of such magnitude.

"They've expressed interest in it and we're waiting for them to get the additional work done on the building," Silver told Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group.

"We're very excited about returning to Cleveland at some point for an All-Star game. We know (Cavaliers owner) Dan Gilbert would very much like it to happen and I think it's just a function of when. Making sure that the timing is right in terms of the upgrades to the building."

Silver didn't pinpoint the specific improvements he requires, but, according to Haynes, the Cavs have proposed a multimillion-dollar renovation project that would include expanding the building's occupancy.

The Q opened in 1994 - making it the ninth-oldest arena in the league - and hosted the All-Star game shortly thereafter, in 1997. Gilbert seems determined to do whatever is necessary to bring the festivities back.

"The city of Cleveland would embrace it," he said. "They deserve to have it. We have the best fans in the NBA. We're going to do whatever is in our power to make it happen."