The Cleveland Cavaliers are opening the season with plenty of eyes on them, and not just because Thursday’s opener against the Sixers finally gets the new-look group on the floor. With the East crowded and the Cavs carrying big expectations, there’s a lot to watch right away.
Donovan Mitchell is the obvious headliner, and a strong case can be made that he’s due for an even bigger year. He’s already finished top-seven in NBA MVP voting in three of the past four seasons, yet Bleacher Report left him out of its preseason top-10.
One bold read on this season is that Mitchell forces his way into the top three in MVP voting. Cleveland is positioned to win a lot of games, and if Mitchell keeps producing at his usual level, that kind of finish is well within reach.
He’s the engine here. The Cavs go as far as he takes them.
Evan Mobley feels like the other major swing piece. His 2025-26 season left something to be desired, but there’s clear belief that a bounce-back is coming.
He spent the offseason working on a “go-to” move, and Kenny Atkinson and his staff have talked about using him like the great Kevin Garnett. Cleveland also passed on possible blockbuster changes this summer, sticking with the five-year big man instead of moving for Giannis Antetokounmpo or Jaylen Brown.
That says plenty about what they think Mobley can become. He was the DPOY two seasons ago, made an All-Star team, and with Peyton Watson beside him on defense, he should have more freedom to roam.
More blocks, more rebounds, a return to the All-Star Game, and another All-Defense selection are all in play.
The bigger picture in the East is brutal, even by conference standards. The Knicks are coming off a dominant playoff run and a title.
The Sixers brought in Jaylen Brown and LeBron James while also reshaping the bench. The Celtics are still there, the Raptors added Kawhi Leonard, the Heat now have Giannis Antetokounmpo, and last year’s top-seeded Pistons are still in the mix.
That’s a stack of heavy hitters.
Still, Cleveland is no afterthought. Donovan Mitchell and James Harden give the Cavs two of the league’s most productive guards, and Harden is a prime candidate for a bounce-back after struggling late in the playoffs.
Peyton Watson should also lift a defense that simply wasn’t at that level a year ago. Health will matter, as it does for everyone, and Cleveland isn’t immune.
But the roster looks sturdy enough to survive the grind, and the team could always look to the buyout market or the trade market later if needed.
A top-two finish in the East is not out of the question. The schedule starts tough, which will show quickly whether this group can stand up to the league’s best. If it can, the Cavaliers have plenty of room to take this season wherever they want.
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The generational gap around him keeps getting harder to ignore. A number of notable players already in the NBA, or on the rise toward it, were not even born when James made his debut in 2003, which is the kind of detail that turns an otherwise routine season-opening note into something much bigger. And with James still adding to that ledger, the question is less about whether he has outlasted his peers than how much longer this unusual run can keep stretching the leagues timeline. [Read more 🡒]