The Cleveland Cavaliers have already had a busy offseason, but not the kind that makes anyone feel better about where the roster stands.
They missed out on LeBron James in free agency. Dean Wade is gone to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Keon Ellis headed to the Brooklyn Nets, and Larry Nance Jr. signed with the Indiana Pacers. Cleveland did bring back big man Thomas Bryant and added EuroLeague standout Mario Hezonja, who hasn’t appeared in the NBA since 2020.
Even with that, the East has gotten stronger and Koby Altman has not exactly been aggressive.
Now the question is what comes next.
One obvious path is tied to Harden, who is expected back with the team at some point this week. He is set to take a team-friendly deal, and that would help the Cavs get under the second apron. That matters because it would give Altman more room to maneuver and spare Cleveland from the harsher restrictions that come with being above that line, including the inability to aggregate salaries in trades.
The original hope was that Harden’s opt out might help lure LeBron back to Cleveland. That didn’t happen, but the contract still has value as a tool to upgrade the roster.
Another name to watch is Kuminga. Reports have the Cavs as the frontrunner, and he reportedly wants a reunion with head coach Kenny Atkinson.
Cleveland would likely have to send Max Strus and possibly Dennis Schroder to get him, but Kuminga would fill a major need. At 23, he would be the best and simplest option available for a team that needs help on the wing.
Kuminga isn’t known as a strong shooter, but the Cavs are staring at a conference where the top contenders all added premium wings this offseason. Cleveland does not have many clean answers there.
There’s also the bigger roster question around Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. The Cavaliers could have moved Mobley this offseason for Jaylen Brown or Giannis Antetokounmpo, but Altman chose to keep him. Mobley is younger and has more upside, and that decision only makes sense if he is going to have a larger role.
Allen, though, is still in Mobley’s way. The fit has always felt awkward. Altman is not believed to be eager to move him, but if Cleveland could land another quality wing such as Herb Jones or Trey Murphy III, then revisiting an Allen trade would start to make a lot more sense.
In Other News...
Cavaliers Linked To Another Two-Way Wing In Huge Summer Test
Clevelands summer has already been defined by keeping Donovan Mitchell in place on a four-year extension, and the front office still looks like it is searching for ways to sharpen the roster around him. One proposed path comes from Bleacher Reports Greg Swartz, who floated a four-team deal that would send a young two-way wing to the Cavaliers through a sign-and-trade framework involving Denver, Detroit and the Clippers.
The appeal is obvious for a team that has spent the offseason balancing present contention with long-term flexibility. If the pieces were to line up, Cleveland could imagine a starting group with Mitchell, James Harden if he returns, the incoming wing, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, giving the Cavs another versatile defender and a little more size on the perimeter. For now, it remains one of those speculative summer ideas that says as much about Clevelands ambitions as it does about the market around it. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers May Finally Have An Answer For Their Biggest Depth Problem
The Cavaliers spent much of last season searching for stability behind their starters, cycling through 41 different lineups while a once-reliable bench punch slipped badly. Their second unit went from seventh in the league in scoring to 21st, and the loss of Ty Jerome left a hole they never really filled, which made every cold stretch feel bigger for a team trying to stay in the Eastern Conference mix.
Now the hope is less about a single veteran fix and more about internal growth from a young group that has a chance to change the math. Jaylon Tyson, Sam Merrill, NaeQwan Tomlin, Tyrese Proctor, Craig Porter Jr. and Meleek Thomas are all expected to matter more, and if even a couple of them take the kind of step Cleveland is banking on, the Cavaliers might finally have a bench that can hold its own instead of merely surviving until the stars return. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Just Found Another Way To Stay Dangerous In The East
Philadelphia keeps finding ways to make the math work, and this latest move is another reminder that the front office is not just chasing talent but also protecting its options. By moving Johni Broome and a second-round pick for cash considerations, the Sixers cleared the kind of room they needed to stay nimble after already reshaping the roster around LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
For a team trying to stack top-end talent without boxing itself in, the cap sheet matters almost as much as the names on it. Staying below the first apron gives Philadelphia a cleaner path to keep building, and the Broome deal also helped create the roster flexibility needed to bring Caldwell-Pope in officially, a small transaction on paper that could loom larger once the season starts to unfold. [Read more 🡒]