Jarrett Allen has heard the noise, and he knows the Cavaliers haven’t silenced it yet.
Cleveland made real progress last season by winning two Game 7s and reaching the Eastern Conference finals, but the finish line changed the conversation fast. A sweep by the Knicks once the Cavs got there was a blunt reminder that getting better is not the same thing as getting all the way there.
“I feel like [the city] believes in us but part of them has doubt,” Allen said Monday at media day. “Everyone wants to break the doubt.
I want to break the doubt. The team wants to break the doubt.
And we want to do it for the city.”
That doubt has only grown louder as the rest of the East grabbed the spotlight. The Knicks have taken over the conversation, the new-look Sixers have drawn attention and plenty of other teams made their summer moves.
Cleveland, meanwhile, stayed with its core, bringing back Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley and Allen while adding Peyton Watson on the wing. Continuity just doesn’t travel as loudly as a headline trade.
Even LeBron James, speaking at Sixers media day Monday, ran through the East’s biggest names before getting to Cleveland. He mentioned the Heat with Giannis Antetokounmpo, the defending champion Knicks, his revamped Sixers and the Raptors with Kawhi Leonard first.
Allen said he doesn’t think James meant anything by it, but the broader point landed anyway. The Cavs have spent the offseason hearing plenty of talk about everyone else.
“That’s just how it is with Cleveland,” Allen said. “At some point, people are going to understand about Cleveland and how much work, not only us but the whole city puts in, and respect it.”
Allen almost pointed to James himself as the model for what Cleveland is trying to build, but he stopped short because of Mitchell’s preference to keep the focus on the present group.
“Don doesn’t like me saying LeBron,” Allen said. “We’re here to create our own identity.”
Mobley, for his part, said he spent the summer sharpening his offense and working on a go-to move he didn’t have in the playoffs. When asked what that move is, he smiled and kept it under wraps.
“You’re gonna have to find out and see,” he said.
The Cavs don’t need to settle any of this in September. They’ve already shown they can win plenty of regular-season games and survive a couple of tough playoff rounds. The real test is still ahead: beating a team like the Knicks when a trip to the Finals is at stake.
“There’s still a fire,” Mitchell said.
In Other News...
Former Cavs Champion J.R. Smith Is Suddenly Facing Serious Trouble
J.R. Smith, one of the more recognizable names from Clevelands 2016 title run, is back in the news for all the wrong reasons. The former Cavaliers guard was arrested in Hunt County, Texas, on a charge of assault causing bodily injury involving alleged family violence, a jarring development for a player who had recently turned the page into a new chapter after basketball.
Smith was booked into the Hunt County Detention Center, and no bond was listed at the time. The two-time NBA champion had recently completed his college golf career at North Carolina A&T, which made this turn even more startling for fans who remember him as part of a championship core and not as a headline like this one. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Camp Already Has Fans Talking About Mario Hezonja's New Look
Training camp is barely underway, but Mario Hezonja has already become one of the more noticeable additions around the Cavaliers. Cleveland brought in the veteran forward after his return from overseas, and the early buzz has centered on more than just his fit on the floor. With the Cavs also adding Peyton Watson in a sign-and-trade with Denver, the start of camp has given the roster a different look as the team begins sorting out roles for the 2026-27 season.
Jarrett Allen was among the first to comment on Hezonjas physical transformation, which only added to the attention around the newcomer. Hezonja, for his part, has been open about the mindset that brought him back to the league, and that combination of renewed purpose and a changed body has made him an early talking point in camp. For Cleveland, it is the kind of subplot that can matter in a long preseason, especially when a new face arrives with something to prove. [Read more 🡒]
James Harden Just Made Clevelands Peyton Watson Move Look Crucial
Peyton Watsons arrival in Cleveland has already become one of the more interesting subplots of the Cavaliers offseason. The 22-year-old forward came over from Denver in the five-team sign-and-trade on Aug. 19, and his profile only got a bigger boost a day later when James Harden signed on with the Cavaliers, a move that added more weight to the organizations push to reshape the roster.
Watson was introduced by the Cavaliers on Sept. 17 after coming off a career-best season, and the expectation now is that he will have a larger role in Cleveland than he did with the Nuggets. Hardens presence matters here, not just because of the star power, but because he helped recruit Watson in the first place, making the move feel like part of a bigger plan rather than a one-off transaction. [Read more 🡒]