LeBron: Cavs GM 'did a heck of a job' revamping roster

LeBron James gave props to Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman for his roster rehaul.

"I think Koby did a heck of a job of understanding what our team needed. It just wasn't working out for us," James told reporters following Tuesday's 120-112 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

"He made the changes he felt that best fits our team," the four-time MVP added. "Then it's on me to make sure the new guys that come in, I make sure they fit in and make it as seamless as possible."

Altman, who was promoted to GM in the offseason after David Griffin left, was the league's busiest executive ahead of last week's trade deadline. Determined to give his struggling team a boost in terms of youth, athleticism, and defensive acumen, Altman swung three trades that shipped out seven players and brought back four new faces.

Related - LeBron praises new Cavs: It's like they've been here all along

James has the opportunity to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and it appears the team tried to give him a reason to stay in Cleveland. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Altman met with the superstar last week to discuss the transactions he was in the process of facilitating and assured him he'd try his best to fix what was a dysfunctional group both on and off the court.

The early returns are encouraging, with Cleveland picking up quality wins over the Boston Celtics and Thunder.

James is averaging 26.5 points, 8.9 assists, 8.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and a block over 56 games for the third-place Cavs. He's expected to decline his $35.6-million player option at season's end.