The Cleveland Cavaliers head into the 2026-27 season with a roster that gives them real award upside across the board. With an updated, bigger starting five that includes Peyton Watson, a scoring rookie in Meleek Thomas, and Mario Hezonja back in the NBA after a six-year absence, there’s plenty here for Cleveland to chase beyond wins and losses.
Coming off an Eastern Conference Finals berth, the Cavs have a group that could make even more noise this season. That opens the door for individual hardware, too.
For Rookie of the Year, Meleek Thomas is Cleveland’s clearest path. Khalifa Diop probably won’t get enough minutes to matter, and Ernest Udeh Jr. is working with the limitations of his two-way deal.
Thomas, though, has already flashed the scoring touch that made him stand out at Arkansas, and he brought that same punch to the Cavs’ Summer League team in Las Vegas. The catch is playing time.
If he’s part of the regular rotation, he has a chance. If not, he’s a long shot unless injuries or other circumstances push him into a 20-plus-minute role.
Even so, the upside is obvious, and he looks like a player who should settle into Cleveland’s rotation for a long time.
Nae’Qwan Tomlin is another name worth watching in the Most Improved Player conversation. He’s set up for an everyday role from opening night and brings a little bit of everything to the table.
Like Jaylon Tyson in his second season, Tomlin has a chance to take a noticeable step forward. He’s the most energetic player on the bench and profiles as Cleveland’s spark plug.
More minutes, more shots, and a few extra rebounds could put him in the mix for league-wide MIP chatter.
Donovan Mitchell is the obvious pick for Cleveland’s best shot at an MVP push. There really isn’t much debate there.
He fills up the box score with ease, whether he’s getting to the rim with his step-through move or pulling up for step-back threes. The results keep coming, and the numbers back it up.
He’s the No. 2 leading scorer in franchise history, and his big-game résumé speaks for itself: the 71-point night, the 50-point explosion against Orlando two postseasons ago, and the 57 he dropped against Denver in the bubble while with Utah. Now he’s surrounded by a stronger supporting cast, which should make life easier.
He scores, he passes, and he does it while shooting nearly 50% from the field. MVP races are crowded every year, but if Cleveland exceeds expectations in the regular season, Mitchell could climb into the top five.
The defensive award conversation points straight back to Evan Mobley, who already won the honor two years ago. He remains one of the league’s most disruptive defenders, from the perimeter to the rim.
Victor Wembanyama’s injury in 2024-25 helped clear the way for Mobley to take home the award, but his impact was bigger than just circumstance. He makes opponents uncomfortable all over the floor, and it was surprising not to see him land on an All-Defense team last season.
Even without quite as much all-league buzz, he still belongs in the conversation with Amen and Ausar Thompson, Wembanyama, and Rudy Gobert.
Peyton Watson can also be mentioned as a dark-horse DPOY candidate, depending on how his final numbers look.
In Other News...
Cavs Wing Depth Problem Opens A Real Opportunity For Mario Hezonja
The Cavaliers are looking a little thinner on the wing than they were not long ago, and that has given Mario Hezonja a legitimate opening as training camp approaches. Cleveland brought him in on a non-guaranteed minimum deal, with the idea that he can compete for a backup forward spot at a time when the roster has lost several depth pieces and needs someone who can help fill out the rotation.
Hezonja arrives with a resume that is more than just a flyer from overseas. He was one of the top scorers for Real Madrid in La Liga, where he also earned league MVP honors, and he has remained an important piece for Croatia in FIBA World Cup qualifying. For the Cavs, the appeal is obvious: if he translates that production to the NBA level, a thin position group could quickly turn into a real chance to stick. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Miss Reshaped The Central Race Around The Cavs
Chicagos offseason chatter briefly suggested the Bulls might swing big in the middle of the Eastern Conference race, but the reality was always a little more restrained. Reports now indicate the clubs interest in Bennedict Mathurin was overstated, and the Bulls were never willing to put down the kind of multiyear guarantee that matched the two-year deal Mathurin ultimately took with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Jonathan Kuminga was the more serious target, but even there the limits were clear. Chicago was not prepared to promise him a regular starting role, and that left the door open for Kuminga to choose the Minnesota Timberwolves instead. It is the kind of near-miss that can reshape the pecking order around the Cavs, where every rivals hesitation matters almost as much as its aggression. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Face An Early Roster Decision That Could Shape Flexibility
The Cavaliers are already staring at one of those quiet roster deadlines that can matter just as much as a splashy move. Mario Hezonja and Craig Porter Jr. each have upcoming guarantee dates on their deals, giving Cleveland a built-in window to decide whether to keep both players locked in for the season or use the opening to preserve flexibility as the year unfolds.
Hezonjas date arrives in mid-November, creating an early fork in the road for a front office that tends to keep an eye on every bit of roster and salary-cap maneuvering. Porters guarantee date comes later in January, which gives the Cavs a little more time to weigh the picture, but also means the decisions around both players could linger as Cleveland tries to balance present depth with future flexibility. [Read more 🡒]