The Cleveland Cavaliers still have a real path in front of them, even after their season ended with a loss to the New York Knicks. Cleveland went 52-30 and finished fourth in the Eastern Conference, while Detroit grabbed the top spot at 60-22. Boston and New York followed in second and third, and it was the Knicks who ultimately ended the Cavs’ playoff run before going on to beat the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals for the franchise’s first championship in 53 years.
For Cleveland, the bigger story is that the foundation is still in place. Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are all back on the roster, with Mitchell having signed an extension earlier this month and the bigs locked in with extensions from 2024. That gives the Cavaliers a core that already knows how to win in the postseason, even if the final result last spring left them short.
There’s also the possibility of another major addition. The Cavaliers brought in James Harden, who opted out of his deal, but the All-Star guard is still eyeing a new deal with Cleveland.
LeBron James remains a free agent as well, and Cleveland is one of the teams in the mix. In his last run with the Cavaliers, he helped deliver a championship, and that possibility is back on the table depending on what he chooses.
The Philadelphia 76ers and the Golden State Warriors are also pursuing him, and if he lands with one of those teams, they could become the group to beat.
If James signs elsewhere, Cleveland could look in another direction. Jonathan Kuminga is still available, and the 23-year-old wing brings value at both ends of the floor. The Cavaliers have been quiet in free agency so far, but that could change quickly if they decide to make a move.
Even if they don’t, the Cavs still look like a legitimate playoff team. The East is shifting, with Miami and Philadelphia making moves, and other teams could slide the other way.
New York is also sitting there as the team everyone is chasing. Cleveland, though, remains firmly in the mix.
The question now is where the Cavaliers end up once the dust settles. They could be the first seed, they could land fourth again, or they could wind up somewhere in between. Either way, they’re in position to keep pushing, and another championship run is still on the table.
In Other News...
Cavs Are Suddenly Linked To A Franchise Defining Frontcourt Gamble
Anthony Davis has barely had a chance to settle into Washington, but the ripple effects of his arrival are already being felt around the league, including in Cleveland. The fit is obvious enough to spark debate: a frontcourt built around Davis would give the Cavaliers a very different kind of ceiling, and the conversation naturally turns to what kind of price tag would come with that sort of swing.
The harder part is figuring out what Cleveland would be willing to give up, because any serious pursuit would almost certainly force the Cavs to confront the value of Evan Mobley in a way that goes well beyond a simple roster tweak. There is also the broader question of whether Davis even gets to the point where this becomes real, since Washington still has to navigate his contract situation and the uncertainty around his early days with the franchise before any of the speculation turns into something more concrete. [Read more 🡒]
Former Lakers Champion Just Floated A Wild New LeBron Theory
Markieff Morris set off a fresh round of NBA chatter this week by floating a speculative chain of moves that would send James Harden to the Phoenix Suns and, in the process, land Jalen Green with the Cavaliers. It was the kind of social media theory that instantly gets attention because it ties together a few of the leagues biggest names, but it remains firmly in the realm of speculation rather than anything official.
For Cleveland, the appeal is obvious even before the details get sorted out. A Green-Donovan Mitchell backcourt would be electric on offense, though it would also come with real questions on the defensive end, and the idea only gets louder because of what Greens arrival could mean for the Cavs larger future plans. For now, though, it is just another reminder that the offseason rumor mill can turn one post into a full-blown conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Love Reunion Could Become A Real Cavaliers Offseason Debate
Kevin Loves name is starting to surface again in Cleveland, and it makes sense why. The veteran big man is an unrestricted free agent after spending last season with the Utah Jazz, and he remains one of the more familiar faces from the Cavaliers 2016 championship run. For a team looking to preserve flexibility while still adding dependable depth, a reunion would bring an obvious layer of experience and a player who already understands the organization and the expectations that come with it.
The Cavaliers are still waiting on LeBron James decision before making bigger roster moves, which keeps the rest of the offseason in a holding pattern. Loves longstanding friendship with James only adds to the intrigue, especially if Cleveland decides it wants another proven voice in the locker room and a veteran option in the frontcourt. For now, it sits as a possibility rather than a plan, but it is the kind of move that could become a real debate once the bigger domino falls. [Read more 🡒]