X-factors are the kind of players who can tilt a season without ever needing to lead the nightly headlines. For the Cavaliers heading into 2026-27, that list starts with three names that already feel central to everything Cleveland wants to do.
Some pieces around the roster changed in the offseason, but the core stayed intact in the places that matter most. Donovan Mitchell signed a long-term extension.
Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen were kept instead of being dealt, preserving Cleveland’s 4-5 pairing. And James Harden finally got his contract signed.
That sets the stage for a team that already knows where its strengths lie. The first major swing factor is Sam Merrill, whose impact last season was hard to ignore.
In the 52 regular season games he played, the Cavaliers went 37-15. When he was out, they were 15-15.
An injury to his shooting hand slowed him down in 2025-26 and dinged his efficiency, but the idea here is simple: if he’s healthy, he can matter in a big way. Merrill averaged 13 points per game last season, and there’s reason to think that number could climb. He’ll often be lined up next to Jaylon Tyson off the bench, giving Cleveland another important source of spacing and shot-making.
He handles the ball. He knocks down threes.
He changes the geometry of the floor. That kind of presence makes Merrill one of the clearest X-factors on the roster.
Jarrett Allen belongs in the same conversation. He has spent the last three seasons showing up in trade rumors and, for now, is still in Cleveland. The postseason was kind to him, and with Dean Wade gone to Philly, Allen is now the longest-tenured player on the team after arriving in 2020-21.
His value is easy to identify and tough to replace. He protects the rim, finishes lobs, and sets screens that create real problems for defenses. Allen is also one of the league’s most efficient players, and when he’s fully involved, the Cavaliers are that much more dangerous.
He already has a strong track record with Darius Garland, and he has also done well alongside James Harden. The one-time All-Star remains a player worth watching closely.
Then there’s Donovan Mitchell, who almost automatically qualifies for any list like this. He’s Cleveland’s top scorer and one of the league’s most explosive talents, and the numbers from last season backed that up. Mitchell averaged just under 30 points per game while shooting nearly 49% from the field.
The bigger question with Mitchell usually isn’t what he does, but what he leaves undone - and the answer is basically nothing. He has filled whatever role the team has needed, including clutch moments, and the new roster setup should give him a little more room to distribute the ball. That could push his assist numbers beyond last season’s marks.
He is the kind of difference-maker who can carry MVP-level aspirations, even if that’s no easy climb in this league. Still, Mitchell enters 2026-27 as one of the Cavaliers’ biggest X-factors, and probably the one with the widest reach.
In Other News...
Cavs Fans Have More Ways To Avoid Full DAZN Cost This Season
Cavaliers fans heading into this season have a little more flexibility than they might expect when it comes to watching the teams non-nationally televised games. Cleveland partnered with DAZN for local broadcasts this year, with Rock Entertainment Group handling the production, but the setup is not an all-or-nothing proposition for viewers trying to keep costs down.
DAZNs multi-device plan now runs $25, yet 31 of the Cavs 82 games will be available without that full subscription, either for free or through cheaper options such as Peacock and Amazon Prime Video. In practical terms, nearly 40% of the schedule should be reachable through cable TV or other streaming services, a sign that more NBA teams are looking for ways to widen local access without forcing fans into one pricey platform. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Brought Back A Familiar Shooter For A Reason
The Cavaliers have spent the offseason sorting through the margins of the roster, and Sean McNeil now fits right into that broader camp picture. Cleveland signed the guard to a non-guaranteed training camp contract, a move that gives the organization a closer look at a familiar shooter while keeping the financial commitment light as the roster gets closer to opening night.
For teams building out the back end of the roster, these deals are as much about rights and development as they are about immediate NBA help. The Pelicans handling of Johnny ONeil and the Warriors Exhibit 10 signings of Chance McMillian and Deivon Smith are reminders of how often clubs use these transactions to steer players toward their G League affiliates, and McNeils situation suggests Cleveland sees value in keeping that pipeline open as camp approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Iman Shumpert Just Reopened A Painful Cavaliers What-If
Iman Shumpert has never sounded like a man eager to let the 2016 NBA Finals fade quietly into history. In revisiting Kevin Durants decision to join the Warriors, Shumpert went straight at the move that helped turn the leagues next few years into a Cavs-Rangers of the West saga, framing it as the kind of choice that cost Cleveland a chance at adding more hardware after its title run.
For Cavaliers fans, it is the sort of reminder that still stings because the alternate path always felt close enough to imagine. The championships that followed, the head-to-head stakes and the lasting debate over what might have happened if Durant had gone elsewhere have kept that era alive far beyond the final buzzer, and LeBron James recent move to Philadelphia with his declaration that it will be his final NBA stop only adds another layer to how that stretch of Cavs history gets remembered. [Read more 🡒]