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East Notes: Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell, Pacers, Bennedict Mathurin, Wizards

Originally posted on Hoops Wire | By Sam Amico | Last updated Aug 25, 2025 9:55 PM ET

The Cavaliers and their fans have truly loved what the team has done in the Donovan Mitchell era. Well, at least when it comes to the regular season.

After all, the Cavs are 163-83 in the regular season since Mitchell arrived. That’s a 66% win rate, third-best in the league.

But in the playoffs? Just 11-15, including three straight five-game exits. Injuries have been a factor, with Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen all missing time.

Still, as ESPN’s Zach Kram writes, Cleveland has reached the same stage the Bucks did a few years back. And no one cares how dominant the regular season looks anymore. It all comes down to the spring.

With that in mind, the Cavaliers could alter things before the trade deadline, even slightly, if they appear to be headed down the same postseason path.

Pacers prepping for life after Haliburton injury: Kram points out that the Pacers’ immediate goal is to tread water until Tyrese Haliburton returns from his Achilles tear in 2026-27. Step one is finding a long-term center to replace Myles Turner, whether that’s Isaiah Jackson, Jay Huff, or someone not yet on the roster. Step two is sorting through their pile of recent first-round picks — Bennedict Mathurin, Ben Sheppard, and Jarace Walker — to see who’s a keeper. Mathurin is the most intriguing, but Kram notes that his production has been flat since his rookie year. If he can expand his game with more opportunity, the Pacers may be able to accelerate their climb back into contention.
Wizards headed for more pain: Washington is coming off back-to-back historically bad seasons — 15-67 in 2023-24 and 18-64 in 2024-25. Kram writes that this season doesn’t project to be much better, as the Wizards lean even harder into youth development. In fact, their point differential last year was worse than the year before despite a slightly better record. Year three of the rebuild will almost certainly mean more lumps. Oh, and for the record, the Wizards haven’t hit 50 wins in a season since 1979.