The Cleveland Cavaliers are rolling into the season with a starting five that has already been pegged as the sixth-best in the NBA, according to Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report.
That group will feature James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Peyton Watson, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, giving Cleveland a lineup with scoring, size and a heavy dose of two-way talent. Harden arrived from the LA Clippers last season and delivered 20.5 points and 7.7 assists per game in the regular season, then followed that with 19.2 points and 5.5 assists per game in the playoffs.
Mitchell, meanwhile, remains the engine of the offense. Since coming over from the Utah Jazz before the 2022-23 season, he has averaged 26.7 points per game in the regular season and 27.3 in the playoffs in a Cleveland uniform. The Cavaliers locked him in this offseason with a four-year, $273 million maximum contract extension.
Watson is the newest piece in the mix, landing in Cleveland on a four-year, $88 million deal through a sign-and-trade with the Denver Nuggets. The contract includes a player option and a trade kicker.
Last season in Denver, Watson put up 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 49.1% from the field, 41.1% from 3-point range and 73.0% at the line. He’s also been described as one of the top two-way wings in the league.
Allen brings the rim protection and interior production. He’ll make $28 million this season after averaging 15.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game last year, shooting 63.8% from the field and 70.9% from the free-throw line. He also finished with 20 double-doubles.
Mobley is the swing piece. For Cleveland last season, he averaged 18.2 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 54.6% from the field, 29.7% from deep and 60.6% from the free-throw line. The Cavaliers passed on dealing him to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was traded to the Miami Heat, and also showed no interest in moving him for Jaylen Brown, who was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.
That decision puts plenty of pressure on Mobley to deliver at a superstar level this season. If he doesn’t, Cleveland could end up regretting passing on Brown or Antetokounmpo, both former Finals MVPs.
The Cavaliers open the season against LeBron James and the 76ers in Philadelphia, setting up what the source described as an electric atmosphere.
And if things go sideways in the 2027 playoffs, it would not be surprising if Mitchell, Harden and Allen are no longer on the roster for 2027-28.
For now, though, Cleveland will try to chase the same ending LeBron delivered in 2016. The 2015-16 Cavaliers beat the 73-9 Golden State Warriors to win the championship, and Mitchell, Watson, Harden, Mobley and Allen will be aiming to pull off something similar.
In Other News...
Dean Wades First 76ers Comments Will Sting Cavaliers Fans
Dean Wades move from Cleveland to Philadelphia already made for an awkward summer subplot, and his first comments as a 76er only sharpened it. After leaving the Cavaliers in free agency, Wade signed a four-year deal with the Sixers and spoke about wanting a chance to compete for a championship, a familiar pitch for any veteran changing uniforms but one that still lands differently when it comes after years in Cleveland.
For Cavaliers fans, the sting is less about the contract and more about the timing and the role he is expected to play in Philadelphia. Wade was part of Clevelands recent playoff run and gave the Cavs valuable minutes along the way, so seeing him head elsewhere with an eye on a title chase leaves another reminder of how thin the margin can be for a team trying to stay in the contender conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Donovan Mitchell Distances Himself From Cavaliers Summer Addition
Donovan Mitchell made it clear this week that he was not involved in bringing Peyton Watson to Cleveland, a small but notable footnote to the Cavaliers busy summer. Watson arrived on a four-year, $88 million deal as the kind of three-and-D wing the roster has been built to value, giving the Cavs another versatile piece as they try to firm up the edges of a contender.
Mitchells clarification doesnt change the bigger picture for Cleveland, which added Watson with the expectation that he can help on both ends right away. But it does add a little intrigue to how the move came together, and to how the Cavaliers are distributing credit as they keep shaping a team they believe can chase a championship next season. [Read more 🡒]
Why The Cavaliers Made This Preseason Feel Different
The Cavaliers preseason has been part of a bigger Cleveland sports conversation lately, even with the Guardians celebrating an AL Central title and the Browns dealing with another round of questions about Deshaun Watson and their defense. On a recent podcast episode that ranged across the citys teams, the Cavs came up as part of the fall sports picture, with their preseason work drawing attention alongside talk of the Guardians Division Series plans and broader trends around the game.
For Cleveland fans, that kind of crossover matters because it gives the Cavaliers a place in the citys current sports mood, not just as a separate basketball team but as part of an all-around stretch of local intrigue. The preseason always brings some anticipation, but this one has felt a little different because the conversation around the team is happening in a season where everything else in town seems to be moving too, from baseball to football to the wider sports issues being debated on air. [Read more 🡒]