The Cleveland Cavaliers have had anything but a smooth ride to start the season. Injuries have disrupted their rhythm, and the losses have piled up more than anyone in the organization would’ve hoped. Naturally, that’s sparked some trade chatter - and not just from fans.
According to recent reports, while stars Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley are considered off-limits in trade talks, other key names like Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and De’Andre Hunter are at least conceptually on the table. That doesn’t mean the Cavs are actively shopping them, but it does suggest the front office is open to listening - under the right circumstances.
Still, don’t expect a fire sale in Cleveland anytime soon.
Team president Koby Altman and the front office aren’t rushing into anything. Despite holding the league’s most expensive payroll - $229.8 million, making them the only team currently over the second apron - the Cavs are taking a wait-and-see approach.
The logic? They haven’t yet seen their full starting lineup healthy and on the court together this season.
Until they do, they’re holding the line.
That patience has already been tested. According to league sources, Cleveland has received at least two trade offers for rotation-level players - and turned both down. Details on which players were involved haven’t surfaced, but the message is clear: the Cavs aren’t making moves just to make moves.
And honestly, that makes sense. This is still a team with real talent.
When healthy, the core of Mitchell, Mobley, Garland, and Allen has the potential to be dangerous - especially in an Eastern Conference that feels wide open this season. There's no dominant juggernaut running away with the conference, which means a team like Cleveland, if it can get healthy and find some cohesion, could absolutely make a run.
Of course, that’s a big “if.” Injuries have already disrupted the first third of the season, and chemistry takes time - something that’s hard to come by when the lineup is constantly in flux.
But the upside is real. The Cavs aren’t just clinging to hope; they’re betting on a roster they believe in, one that’s already shown flashes of what it can be when things click.
So while the trade market is heating up and rumors will continue to swirl, the Cavaliers are choosing patience over panic. They’re not ignoring the noise - they’re just not letting it dictate their next move. And in a league where impulsive trades can blow up a season, that kind of restraint might end up being their smartest play yet.