The Cleveland Cavaliers are getting plenty of respect after a busy offseason, landing at No. 5 in The Athletic’s NBA power rankings.
Only the New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers sit ahead of Cleveland, a sign that the Cavaliers’ recent moves have put them firmly in the league’s upper tier.
One of the biggest additions came through a multi-team deal with the Nuggets and LA Clippers. In that trade, Watson was sent to Cleveland and Max Strus headed to Los Angeles. Denver came away with an unprotected 2031 Cavaliers first-round pick and a 2032 Sacramento Kings second-rounder.
Watson then signed a four-year, $88 million contract with the Cavaliers. The deal includes a player option and a trade kicker.
Last season in Denver, Watson put together strong all-around numbers, averaging 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 49.1% from the field, 41.1% from three and 73.0% from the free-throw line. The Athletic described him as one of the best two-way wings in the NBA.
Cleveland’s rise comes after a postseason run that pushed the franchise back into the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1992 without LeBron James on the roster. The Cavaliers beat the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons before being swept by the Knicks, who won the 2026 championship against the Spurs.
The schedule is also taking shape for next season. Cleveland currently has 80 regular-season games set, including 17 weekend home dates - two Friday games, nine Saturday games and six Sunday games. Two more games will be added later, depending on the outcome of Emirates NBA Cup matchups, to finish out the 82-game slate.
The Cavaliers also have 17 national television games on the calendar. Their schedule has them playing every Eastern Conference opponent four times, with a few exceptions: Boston (one home, two away), Charlotte (one home, two away), Miami (two home, one away), Orlando (one home, two away), Philadelphia (two home, one away) and Washington (two home, one away).
Cleveland opens next season in Philadelphia against LeBron and the 76ers, a matchup that should bring plenty of energy right out of the gate.
In Other News...
Cavaliers Just Made A Risky Wing Bet Fans Will Debate
A busy offseason for the East has kept roster watchers on alert, and the Cavaliers have now joined the conversation with a move that adds another young wing to the mix. Cleveland completed a five-team trade to bring in Peyton Watson, then reportedly followed that up by signing him to a four-year contract with a player option, giving the front office another long look at a player whose upside still appears to be part of the appeal.
The timing only adds to the intrigue, with rival roster shuffling already underway across the conference and Detroits Cade Cunningham helping steer a players-run minicamp in San Diego while the Pistons sort through their own frontcourt questions. For Cleveland, the bet on Watson is the kind of move that can look clever if his development keeps pace, but it also leaves room for debate about how the Cavaliers are stacking their wing rotation and what comes next as the rest of the East keeps moving. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Suddenly Have Another Chance To Deepen This Contender Core
The Cavaliers latest run of roster maneuvering has already started to reshape the look of a team trying to keep pace in the East. Cleveland pulled in Peyton Watson as part of a five-team deal that also involved Denver, the Clippers, Sacramento, Washington and Charlotte, then quickly moved to bring James Harden back on a new three-year contract, a pair of moves that signal a front office still working to reinforce a contenders core.
Bruce Brown now looms as the next possible addition, with Cleveland reportedly interested in the free agent as another way to bolster the roster. It is the kind of opportunity teams around the league chase in the margins of the offseason, and for the Cavaliers it adds another layer of intrigue to a summer that has already brought in fresh talent while leaving one more notable piece on the board. [Read more 🡒]
Mario Hezonja Suddenly Faces A Tough Fit In Cleveland
Mario Hezonja came to Cleveland on a minimum deal this offseason with the kind of opportunity that can still matter in a crowded league: the Cavs needed wing depth, and he looked like a player who could carve out real minutes in a supporting role. At the time, the path seemed fairly clear for him to work his way into the rotation and help stabilize a spot that had been thin.
Then the trade for Peyton Watson changed the picture quickly. Watson has taken over the starting small forward job, and Hezonja is suddenly looking at life much lower on the depth chart, more as a backup or even a fringe rotation piece than a steady contributor. For a veteran who signed expecting a meaningful chance, the next question is whether he can stay ready and productive in a reduced role, or whether the new setup makes his place in Cleveland feel a lot less secure. [Read more 🡒]