The Cleveland Cavaliers have not exactly cruised into the new season, and that matters because this is a team carrying real pressure after last year’s Eastern Conference Finals run. With the roster already stripped down by a heavy consolidation of assets - including the backcourt overhaul to pair James Harden with Donovan Mitchell and the addition of Peyton Watson - Cleveland does not have much room to maneuver if things go sideways.
That’s why Jarrett Allen stands out as the most obvious name to watch if the season starts to slip. He’s in the first year of his three-year, $84 million extension and is set to make $28 million this season.
On the floor, he still brings the kind of efficiency and defensive presence that make him such a central piece, especially alongside Evan Mobley. But that same frontcourt pairing also raises the question Cleveland keeps circling: can the team fully unlock Mobley offensively while continuing to play two bigs who don’t give much from the perimeter?
The defensive upside is real, but the spacing can get tight, and that can put a ceiling on the offense. If the Cavaliers fall short of expectations, the front office may finally decide to make Mobley the full-time center and build a more modern, flexible group around him.
In that scenario, Allen becomes the cleanest path to a major shakeup. He has genuine All-Star-level ability, and his contract gives Cleveland a way to chase an elite perimeter creator or a two-way wing who can change the shape of the roster.
Sam Merrill is a different kind of trade candidate, but he’s on the list for a reason. His deal is team-friendly, worth about $9.2 million this season, and he remains under team control through the 2028-29 season.
His value is tied less to star power and more to the math of the roster. Cleveland is feeling luxury-tax pressure and sitting right up against the first-apron hard cap, which makes Merrill one of the team’s best salary-matching pieces outside the highest-paid starters.
That makes him useful if the Cavaliers want a smaller roster tweak or need to bring in extra rotation help, like a backup power forward. At the same time, his movement shooting from deep gives him appeal beyond Cleveland. Contenders looking for perimeter firepower would have a reason to call, and his mix of shooting, contract value and team control gives him real trade market appeal.
In Other News...
Sam Merrills Slump May Be A Bigger Cavs Problem Than It Looks
Sam Merrills shooting slump is starting to look like more than a cold stretch, and for the Cavaliers it comes at a time when his value is tied so closely to spacing and quick-trigger offense. The elbow issue he has been dealing with since the preseason has reportedly gotten worse rather than better, and that kind of nagging problem can make a shooters margin for error disappear fast.
At the same time, Clevelands offense has changed since the James Harden acquisition, and Merrill has not been getting quite the same motion looks that once helped him find rhythm. For a player whose game leans on movement, timing and confidence, that combination is a tough one, and it leaves the Cavs with a broader question about how much production they can still expect from him in this system. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Finally Face The Real Khalifa Diop Question
When Cleveland drafted Khalifa Diop in 2022, the plan was never to rush him across the ocean and throw him into the NBA right away. Jos Caldern, the Cavaliers assistant general manager, said the club wanted to let the big man keep developing in Spain, where he had already built momentum after winning the EuroCup Rising Star award before the draft. Diop later signed a four-year contract with Cleveland in September 2023, a sign the organization still sees him as part of its longer-term picture.
The next step, though, remains on hold. Diop has yet to make his NBA debut after a preseason knee injury interrupted his path, leaving the Cavaliers to wait on a prospect they have been patient with from the start. Caldern sounded encouraged by the progress Diop has made and by the chance he could still become a useful piece for the team, but for now the real question is when that promise finally turns into a first game in a Cavaliers uniform. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Early Struggles Are Putting One Offseason Decision Under Fire
The Cavaliers uneven start has already put a bright spotlight on one of their biggest offseason moves. After re-signing James Harden to anchor the roster, Cleveland has stumbled to a 4-4 record and has watched multiple games slip away after building leads, including losses to the Knicks, 76ers and Hawks.
Hardens early numbers have not helped quiet the conversation, either, as his impact has been harder to feel than the contract suggested it would be. With a swing rating of minus-22.6, the fit is drawing scrutiny far sooner than the Cavaliers likely expected, and the next stretch should say a lot about whether this is just a rough opening or the start of a more uncomfortable conversation. [Read more 🡒]