Editor's note: ESPN Insider's Chad Ford breaks down what last season's lottery teams need to do to get to the playoffs. ESPN.com's "Fixer-Upper" series continues with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

There seems to be a lot of blame circulating around Cleveland these days. Finishing with a record of 29-53 will do that to you.

Blame Michael Jordan for pulling out the hearts of the Cavaliers repeatedly during the playoffs.

	Time is running out on GM Jim Paxson to turn around the Cavaliers.

Blame general manager Jim Paxson for a series of bone-headed drafts that have produced the likes of Trajan Langdon, Chris Mihm and DeSagana Diop. Or, blame him for the mishandling of a draft-night trade that might have netted them Lamar Odom and Caron Butler.

Blame the owner, Gordon Gund, for paying huge deals to the wrong guys -- such as Shawn Kemp and Zydrunas Ilgauskas -- but refusing to give a big contracts to good guy Andre Miller.

Blame the injuries. At one point, this team was an Ilgauskas broken foot and a Kemp eating disorder away from being a serious contender.

Blame the weather and the geography. Most NBA free agents do when they put Cleveland on their "thanks but no thanks" list.

But please, don't blame Miller. He's the one shining star the Cavs have on an otherwise abysmal roster. He somehow managed to lead the league in assists despite being the only player on the team worth a hill of beans. He's, perhaps, the most well-rounded, young point guard in the NBA.

Somehow Paxson seems to have missed that. A heated debate between Paxson and assistant coach Ron Ekker on trading Miller, recorded by Sports Illustrated, will surely come back to haunt the Cavs.

"I'm a little concerned about this talk of trading Andre," Ekker told Paxson. "That can't be a basketball decision."

"We're not going to trade Andre because he wants the max," Paxson responded. "We know Andre. We aren't winning with him. Nobody's coming to our building to see Andre Miller play. I'm not putting Andre down. It's just a fact. You say it's not a basketball decision, but in the future it is. We're only going to trade him if we can get two young players and Wagner and build for the long term."

"That's if we are part of the future," Ekker retorted, according to SI. "You may put us in a position where we are not part of the future."

Prophetic words. A few hours and a botched trade later, the Cavs were holding two electrifying point guards, Miller and Dajuan Wagner, and little else. Paxson's job is on the line here.

Can the Cavs go from the doormats of the East to a playoff team in one season? The answer is probably no. So instead, ESPN.com poured over depth charts, trade rumors and salary-cap information and sought the advice of a few NBA GMs to give you the five things the Cavs must do to get into the playoffs in two years.

	Wilcox

	Odom

Step 1: Start talking to the Clippers again.
Paxson will have to swallow his pride and get this trade for Miller done. It isn't the right move for this team, but now that they've drafted and signed Wagner, it's impossible to stop the forces of nature. On draft night, the Clips were offering Lamar Odom and the No. 8 pick (which turned into Chris Wilcox) for Miller. The Cavs have been holding out for Darius Miles and one more young star. It's not going to happen. The Cavs should either settle for Miles, and nothing else, or take Odom and Wilcox. There just aren't any better deals out there. Given the likelihood that the Clips will still balk at moving Miles, take Odom and Wilcox and cross your fingers. Odom is one of the 10 most talented players in the NBA when his head is on straight. The Cavs have the perfect coach, John Lucas, to make sure he stays away from the weed. Odom's ball-handling skills will also be able to hide the fact that Wagner isn't really a point guard. Wilcox is more dynamic and athletic than anything this team has at power forward. He's raw, but the Cavs are a few years away anyway.

Step 2: Re-sign Ricky Davis.
The late-season Michael Jordan comparisons were some sort of Lucas acid-trip flashback, but Ricky Davis is athletic and young and did show flashes of becoming a star. The best part is he has no other place to go. He'll come cheap, which means he's a match made in heaven.

	Smith

	Daniels

Step 3: Send Lamond Murray, Chris Mihm and Tyrone Hill packing.
Lamond Murray and Mihm will just rot away on the bench next season, and Lucas just doesn't need the grief. The Spurs are in need of big men and shooters and have intrest in both. The Cavs could get a deal that would bring them back Steve Smith and Antonio Daniels in return for the three. Daniels might be a nice fit on this team since he can swing between the two and three. Smith comes along just for cap purposes. Both players would come off the cap next season, allowing the Cavs to try their hand at one of the big free agents on the market. The Spurs don't need Smith or Daniels with the additions of Speedy Claxton and Emmanuel Ginobili.

That would give the Cavs this opening-day roster:

Point guard: Dajuan Wagner, Antonio Daniels, Bimbo Coles
Shooting guard: Ricky Davis, Steve Smith, Bryant Stith
Small forward: Lamar Odom, Jumaine Jones, Matt Barnes
Power forward: Chris Wilcox, Carlos Boozer
Center: DeSagana Diop, Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Step 4: Let the kids play.
With just a few simple moves, the Cavs could turn themselves from a prodding, yawn-inducing bore into an up-tempo, run-and-gun powerhouse with a bright future. If one of the pieces doesn't work out, don't worry. Next year, with Daniels, Coles, Smith, Stith, and Jones all off the books, the Cavs will have the cap flexibility to throw lots of money at whomever they want.

	James

Step 5: Pray for LeBron James.
The Cavs will be fun to watch with that team on the floor, but they're not going to win many basketball games. That's good news if you're Jim Paxson. The 2003 draft has the best prospect to come along in years, and he's a local product to boot. If the Cavs lose enough games, they'll have a great shot at James in next year's lottery. With just a little luck, the blame game in Cleveland can finally take a rest.

Chad Ford writes the daily NBA Insider column for ESPN Insider. To get a free 30 day trial, click here.