Highlights
- The Cavaliers’ core needs to be revamped to avoid stagnation after the 2023-24 NBA season.
- Uncertainty around Donovan Mitchell’s future poses potential issues.
- Darius Garland’s rumored trade request may complicate team dynamics, and the latest report is that the franchise may not be interested in moving him.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are heading towards a pivotal offseason for their franchise. After failing to elevate themselves to the status of title contenders since the arrival of Donovan Mitchell, the team is stuck at a crossroads.
The current core of Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen have not yielded the necessary results. The team remains in the second tier of squads in the Eastern Conference. They’re a perennial playoff team, but no more than that.
Mitchell is the big talking point of this offseason. He has a player option for the 2025-2026 season, allowing him to potentially bolt from the Cavaliers for absolutely nothing. This has led to some speculation about his future with the team. Though, it seems like the Cavaliers are insistent on keeping Mitchell and finding a way to make it work with the current group of guys.
However, that now leaves Garland in an awkward position. There have been rumors floated that the former All-Star could request a trade out of Cleveland. This is a trade request that will likely not be met with a warm reception. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggests that teams calling about Garland have not been getting the impression that the Cavaliers want to trade him, as ESPN Cleveland detailed.
With his current contract, Garland is locked up through the 2027-2028 season. This offers the Cavaliers leverage in the situation. However, it could also be a situation ready to turn ugly.
Current core hasn’t gotten over the hump and the Cavaliers shouldn’t be stubborn
There are too many times when Albert Einstein’s definition of insanity becomes relevant in modern-day life. This is one of those situations for the Cavaliers.
They would, understandably, not want to lose a player of Mitchell’s quality for nothing. That is likely the number one priority in Cleveland, alongside hiring a new head coach for the team.
However, if the team is to escape the middling reality they currently face, running things back with the current core does not feel like the answer for Cleveland.
The team faces no real way of improving their current trajectory other than a shakeup of the core. Mitchell and Garland just don’t feel like a complementary pairing in the backcourt. The two of them are both set to make upwards of $35 million next season.
|
Evan Mobley’s Lack of Progression |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Category |
21-22 |
22-22 |
23-24 |
|
PPG |
15.0 |
16.2 |
15.7 |
|
RPG |
8.3 |
9.0 |
9.4 |
|
BPG |
1.7 |
1.5 |
1.4 |
|
FG% |
50.8 |
55.4 |
58.0 |
|
3P% |
25.0 |
21.6 |
37.3 |
Mobley has failed to show significant strides in his development so far with the Cavaliers. There could be another conversation that needs to be had revolving around the fit between him and Allen.
The takeaway for the Cavaliers isn’t that their core four are not talented. Individually, each one of those players is a good to great NBA pro. However, as currently constructed, they just don’t seem entirely complimentary of each other’s strengths and weaknesses. This leaves the Cavaliers stuck as a team that is good, but has no real path to being great in their circumstances.
The Cavaliers would be wise to consider changes to the roster this offseason.
Stas are courtesy of Basketball Reference. Contract figures are courtesy of Spotrac.
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