The Cleveland Cavaliers made noise this summer by trading for Peyton Watson, and they were reportedly in the mix for LeBron James too. James ultimately landed with the Philadelphia 76ers, but the message from Cleveland was clear: this front office is trying to keep pushing forward.
Still, the biggest upgrade the Cavaliers can make might not come from another trade at all. It might just be Donovan Mitchell getting back to being Donovan Mitchell.
That wasn’t the version Cleveland had in the playoffs this past year. Mitchell didn’t look right, and at times it seemed like he might be dealing with some kind of injury, though no injury was reported.
Whatever the cause, he wasn’t the explosive, reliable closer the Cavaliers needed. When the stakes were highest, he wasn’t at his best, and Cleveland got flattened by the New York Knicks in four games.
That’s the frustrating part for the Cavaliers: they already know what Mitchell can be when he’s rolling. During his time with the Utah Jazz, he built his reputation as a scorer who could rise to the moment. In those playoff runs, he became the kind of shot-maker who could drag a team through the rough patches, especially when the game tightened up in the fourth quarter.
That’s the player Cleveland thought it was getting when it traded for him, and for stretches, that’s exactly what it got. Mitchell has shown he can carry playoff possessions and deliver the big buckets a contender needs. The problem this spring was that he didn’t seem capable of doing it at that level.
The Cavaliers also added James Harden, and that changes the equation a bit. Harden has his own playoff baggage, but he can still organize an offense. What he needs is someone who can finish possessions and make the difficult shots when everything gets cramped.
That role should belong to Mitchell. He’s the one Cleveland wants with the ball in the biggest playoff moments. But this past season, the Cavaliers couldn’t put him in those spots the way they wanted because he didn’t look like himself.
Now he’s had the summer to rest, and the expectation is that he’ll be back to normal. Nothing is guaranteed until the playoffs arrive, but if Mitchell returns to his peak level, Cleveland should be in good shape.
Maybe that’s the real answer for the Cavaliers. Maybe they didn’t need a massive swing after all. Maybe they just need prime Donovan Mitchell back.
In Other News...
Former Cavs Are Headed Back To Cleveland With Plenty At Stake
Former Cavaliers are lining up for some familiar stops back in Cleveland, and this seasons calendar already has a little extra bite to it. Darius Garland is set to come through with the Houston Rockets, Max Strus will arrive with the Los Angeles Lakers, and Dean Wade has moved on after seven seasons in Cleveland to join the Philadelphia 76ers, where LeBron James now sits alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown.
The intrigue does not stop there. Kyrie Irving, now with the Dallas Mavericks, is also on track to visit Cleveland in mid-November, and he remains a potential trade candidate as the season unfolds. For Cavaliers fans, those games will carry more than nostalgia, since several of these former staples could be in motion again before long, adding another layer of uncertainty to matchups that already come with plenty of history. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Have A Jaylon Tyson Decision They Can't Drag Out
The Cavaliers have the luxury of stability in their starting group, with their core locked up for at least the next three seasons. James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Peyton Watson, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen give Cleveland a clear foundation, but the front office also has to keep one eye on the edges of the roster, where Jaylon Tyson has quietly become a more interesting piece than he was a year ago.
Tysons improvement has put him on a different track than a simple fill-in wing, and the team controls him on options for the next two seasons. Even so, Cleveland does not have a long-term commitment in place yet, which means a rookie extension could come into focus after this season if the organization wants to keep him in the fold beyond 2028-29. For a team built around continuity, it is the kind of decision that cannot sit around for too long. [Read more 🡒]
Jarrett Allen's Cavaliers Role Suddenly Feels Far Less Secure
The Cavaliers spent the offseason trying to tighten up the edges of the roster, and the addition of Peyton Watson is part of that effort, giving Cleveland a fresher look on the wing after his breakout 2025-26 season. It also adds another piece to a team that has been thinking carefully about how to balance spacing, size and usage, especially with the frontcourt still central to what this group wants to do.
Jarrett Allen remains one of the clearest examples of why the Cavaliers have to keep their big men engaged on offense, even as the lineup starts to shift around him. His best stretches last season came when he played alongside James Harden, and Cleveland will need to find ways to preserve that kind of involvement if it wants to get the most out of Allen while also making room for Watson and the rest of the rotation. [Read more 🡒]