The Cleveland Cavaliers doubled down on their core this past offseason, choosing continuity over change after another early playoff exit. But as we near the halfway mark of the season, that decision is looking more like a misstep than a show of faith. Injuries have certainly played a role, but there’s a deeper issue at play-one that goes beyond health and into the heart of how this roster is constructed.
Let’s start with the talent, because there’s no denying it: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen are all high-level players. Garland, when right, is a dynamic offensive engine-equal parts shooter and facilitator.
Allen is a rock-solid big, offering rim protection, soft touch around the basket, and versatility on defense. Mobley and Mitchell?
Both earned All-NBA honors last season, and rightfully so.
But the problem isn’t talent-it’s fit. And that’s been the case since this group came together.
Two undersized guards in the backcourt. Two traditional bigs up front.
That’s a tough combination to make work in today’s NBA, where spacing, switchability, and positional flexibility are king. The construction puts an unreasonable burden on the fifth starter-whoever that ends up being-to be a defensive stopper on the perimeter, a floor spacer on offense, and a transition threat.
That’s a tall order for any role player, especially when the four stars are commanding the lion’s share of the salary cap.
To their credit, the Cavs have tried to build around this group. Ownership has spent to keep talent in-house, and the front office has looked for complementary pieces.
But the early results this season are telling. Last year, Cleveland came out of the gate hot at 15-0.
This year? 15-14 through 29 games.
That’s not just a step back-it’s a red flag.
The core issue remains: the pieces don’t fit together cleanly. Mobley and Allen, while both excellent individually, crowd the paint and limit spacing. Garland and Mitchell, meanwhile, struggle defensively as a tandem, especially with Garland still working his way back from a toe injury that’s clearly hampering his mobility.
Now, making a major roster move midseason is no easy task-especially under the new CBA rules. Cleveland is operating above the second tax apron, which restricts their flexibility.
They can’t aggregate salaries in trades, and their options are limited. Trading either Garland or Allen would be the most logical path, but neither option is ideal.
Garland’s injury reduces his value, and Allen’s trade stock has dipped, especially with a pay bump looming in 2026-27.
The truth is, the Cavs missed their window. The time to act was this past summer.
Jarrett Allen was the obvious trade candidate. He’s a quality starting center, a fringe All-Star, and would’ve had real value on the open market.
Several teams were in the market for a center back then-the Lakers, Spurs, Raptors, Bucks, Pacers, Bulls, Celtics, Hornets, Pelicans, Suns, Hawks. Before those teams addressed their needs through free agency, trades, or the draft, Cleveland had a chance to move Allen and reshape the roster.
Instead, they stood pat. And now, with the season underway and other teams locked into their rotations and cap structures, finding a trade partner for Allen-or anyone else on the core-becomes exponentially harder. The market shrinks, the leverage disappears, and the return likely won’t move the needle.
Now, rumors are swirling again. There’s talk of shakeups, of exploring the trade market, of trying to salvage a season that feels stuck in neutral. But if that conversation is happening in December, it should’ve been happening in June.
The Cavaliers had an opportunity to be proactive. They knew the fit issues.
They saw the playoff shortcomings. And yet, they chose to run it back.
That decision is now looming large as the team struggles to find consistency and cohesion.
The talent is still there. The potential is still real.
But the clock is ticking, and the margin for error is shrinking. If Cleveland wants to take the next step, the front office will need to make the tough calls they avoided this summer.
Because standing still in the NBA often means falling behind-and right now, the Cavs are learning that the hard way.