Cleveland Cavaliers News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Nov 15, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) and center Jarrett Allen (31) celebrate during the second half against the Chicago Bulls at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

2025-26 May Be Last Season Before Cavaliers Hit Panic Button

Originally posted on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI
By Andy Quach | Last updated Aug 28, 2025 11:04 AM ET

There's a lot of optimism surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2025-26 NBA season. They led the Eastern Conference with 64 wins last year but failed to make a deep run in the playoffs, getting ousted in the second round once again by the Indiana Pacers. However, due to the regular-season success they had and the injuries they endured in the postseason, the franchise has opted to run it back with marginal changes.

The Cavaliers are predicted to be the cream of the crop in a weakened East again next season. With players like the Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum and Indiana Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton out for the year, Cleveland now has its best chance to make the Finals since trading for Donovan Mitchell.

However, great expectations also bring a lot of room for disappointment. If the Cavs fall short again, in the fourth year with their core four and the second under Head Coach Kenny Atkinson, it could prove to be the end of a failed dynasty. Cleveland has had a failsafe option stashed away for the past three years that they've avoided activating, but they might be forced to press the panic button if they fall short again in the playoffs, or even if they don't get off to an encouraging start in the regular season.

Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

This might be the year the Cleveland Cavaliers break up the core four

Between Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, the Cleveland Cavaliers have arguably the strongest top four in the NBA. However, there's a lot of overlap in the skill sets of both the backcourt and the twin towers.

Both Garland and Mitchell are small, offensive-tilted guards who are at their best with the ball in their hands. Either can also play off the ball and even thrive at times, but it's not an idyllic combination.

Mobley and Allen are two of the league's premier rim protectors who can do a lot of damage as rollers off screens, either finishing at the rim on lobs or pocket passes or finding shooters and other cutters as connective playmakers. Neither are full-time floor spacers or ball-handlers, although Mobley has flirted with both, including stroking 37 percent of his career-high 3.2 deep attempts per game last season.

Trading two of the four core, one from the backcourt and one from the frontcourt, would allow the Cavs to keep two All-Star talents while building an elite package to try to find an equally dominant but more cohesive unit. The most likely option would be to keep Mitchell and Mobley, Cleveland's strongest and most proven offensive engine and their most promising young talent.

Lineups with those two on and Garland and Allen off last year had a +11.4 net rating for the Cavaliers, while they were +7.8 per 100 possessions the other way around, according to Cleaning the Glass (subscription required). A trade package built around DG and JA should be able to bag Cleveland pretty much anything they wish in the NBA. Clearly, the team would prefer to reach the pinnacle with their current core four, but if they fall short again, this might be the only path forward to true contention.

This article first appeared on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: