The Cavaliers enter tonight’s NBA Cup matchup with Miami in a spot that matters. Cleveland already opened group play with a win over the Philadelphia 76ers, and that put the team on top of Group B with a +24-point differential.
The Heat aren’t far behind after beating the Indiana Pacers in their first Cup game, sitting at +20. Whoever wins tonight takes first place in the group and improves its path to moving on.
It’s also a meeting of two teams hovering near each other in the East. Cleveland is 6-6 and holds the No. 6 seed, while Miami is 5-6 and sits seventh.
For the Cavaliers, the challenge is pretty clear: survive the absences and get enough production from the right places.
Jarrett Allen is the first big piece. With Evan Mobley out because of a toe injury, Allen has to carry more of the load.
That means protecting the paint, handling the interior defense, and doing more scoring than usual to help make up for Mobley’s absence. Cleveland needs him to be sturdy against a Miami attack that features Giannis Antetokounmpo.
So far this season, Allen has averaged 12.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game.
The second key is the bench. Sam Merrill is out with an injury, and that puts more pressure on Cleveland’s second unit to produce.
Jaylon Tyson, Meleek Thomas, and others will need to bring some scoring to the table. The Cavaliers’ starters can’t shoulder the whole burden, and this is the kind of game where the bench has to prove it can help finish the job.
Then there’s James Harden. His slow start has been a major talking point, and the early returns haven’t matched the contract. Still, he remains one of the best scorers in league history, and the expectation is that he’ll sort it out.
In Other News...
Cavs Already Facing Heat Over Their James Harden Bet
The Cavaliers brought James Harden back on a three-year, $97 million deal after their run to the Eastern Conference Finals, betting that his shot creation and playoff pedigree would help keep them in the conferences top tier. Instead, the early portion of the 2026-27 season has been choppier than expected, with Harden still producing offense but not at the level Cleveland envisioned when it committed that kind of money in the offseason.
Through 12 games, the fit has already become a talking point as Harden has struggled to find the same efficiency and consistency that made the move look so appealing in the first place. Cleveland sits at 6-6 and sixth in the East, which is hardly a disaster this early, but it is enough to make the Harden decision feel like one the Cavaliers will be asked about until he starts looking more like the player they paid for. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Suddenly Have A Sam Merrill Decision Fans Didn't Expect
Sam Merrill has quietly become one of the more useful two-way pieces on Clevelands roster, the kind of wing who can help in a lot of small but important ways when the Cavaliers are trying to round out a rotation. Even with the depth the team has at that spot, Merrills rise has made him more than just a fill-in option, and that has created a real decision point for a front office that has to balance present value with future flexibility.
The complication is that Merrill is still working through an elbow injury that has affected his shooting, which makes the timing of any evaluation tricky. Cleveland would like to see his performance rebound as he gets healthier, but interest from other teams has only sharpened the question of whether the Cavaliers should hold onto him or explore moving him while his market remains active. [Read more 🡒]
Why Mark Price Still Means So Much To Cavaliers Fans
The Cavaliers have long kept Mark Price in a special place in their history, and the franchise made that official on Nov. 13, 1999, when it retired his No. 25 jersey during halftime of a game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Price became only the sixth player in team history to receive that honor, a reminder of how deeply his steady play and professional approach still resonate with Cleveland fans.
The ceremony carried the kind of old-school weight that fit Price perfectly, with Wayne Embry and Bobby Cremins on hand to speak about his impact. He was also presented with a piece of the old Richfield Coliseum floor, a symbolic touch that tied his Cavaliers legacy to one of the franchises most memorable eras. [Read more 🡒]