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The Cleveland Cavaliers were the No. 1 seed in the East this year. They swept the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs and looked like legitimate title contenders for the first time in the second post-LeBron James era.
However, the Cavaliers lost to the Indiana Pacers in the conference semifinals in five games.
Cleveland lost Games 1, 2 and 5 against Indiana at home. The franchise hasn’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs since acquiring Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz in 2022.
Mitchell told local reporters that there will be a lot of noise surrounding the Cavaliers this offseason since the squad lost in the second round again. He wasn’t wrong, as Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report considers Cleveland one of the 2025 playoffs’ biggest “losers.”
“While they certainly deserve a bit of leeway for the aforementioned injuries (Darius Garland, Mitchell, Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter were all banged up by the end of the run), it’s hard to emerge from this postseason without feeling like the Cavs were one of its bigger disappointments,” Bailey wrote. “Cleveland went 64-18 and finished with the 16th-highest single-season average point differential in league history. Mitchell was a first-team All-NBA selection. Catch-all metrics suggested Mitchell, Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Garland were all top-25 players this season. And the Cavs outscored the Heat by a whopping 30.5 points per game in the first round.
“At least through that series, there were plenty of indications this was (or at least should’ve been) a real title contender, but it was dispatched by the Pacers in just five games. And it feels like Cleveland barely left an imprint on the postseason. Now, despite clearing 60 wins in the regular season, we’re likely in for another summer of questions about the fit between Garland and Mitchell in the backcourt and Mobley and Allen down low. A trade of anyone (with the possible exception of Mobley) at least feels possible.”
Mitchell and Mobley are not going anywhere.
However, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, Garland and/or Allen could be traded this offseason.
The Cavaliers are now projected to have $219 million in salary for the 2025-26 season and be over the second apron.
More must-reads:
- Lakers get encouraging Luka Doncic injury update
- Hawks move to add big-man depth with Rockets G League standout
- The 'NBA minutes leaders by season' quiz
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Nets' mishandling of cap space may hurt team's future
In an NBA offseason where very few teams had room under the salary cap, the Brooklyn Nets took on a great deal of unwanted salary — but didn't get a big return. The Nets took on Haywood Highsmith and his $5.6M salary from the Miami Heat on Friday in exchange for a second-round pick in 2032. The move allowed the Heat to duck under the luxury tax line, saving both tax payments and avoiding repeater penalties. While Highsmith is a useful player, starting 42 games last season while shooting 38.2 percent from three-point range, he suffered a torn meniscus while training and could be out for months. The Heat decided to surrender a future pick and cut bait with Highsmith early. The Heat get a clear reward for getting under the tax, but the return for Brooklyn is more nebulous — a late pick that they'll only get seven seasons from now. It fits a trend. For the last year, the Nets have been taking on other teams' contracts, a practice known as "renting" cap space, but to relatively minor returns. In December, the Nets traded guard Dennis Schroder to the Golden State Warriors for De'Anthony Melton, who had torn his ACL weeks earlier. They received three future second-round picks while sending one back to the Warriors. A few weeks later, the Nets sent Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton to the Los Angeles Lakers, taking on D'Angelo Russell, and netted three more future seconds. That's not a terrible return for taking on injured and unwanted players, but the Nets also sacrificed useful players in Schroder and Finney-Smith. Finney-Smith averaged 34 minutes in the first round of the playoffs, while Schroder played 27.3 minutes per game. This summer, the Nets took on the three years and $47M left on Terance Mann's contract in exchange for the No. 22 pick in the 2025 draft, which they used to select Drake Powell out of North Carolina. They traded Cameron Johnson for Michael Porter, Jr., who makes roughly $36M more than Johnson over the next two seasons, and got the Denver Nuggets' first-round pick in 2032. Those future assets aren't nothing, especially the unprotected Nuggets pick, but many of them are far in the future. But for taking on over $100M in salary in the past calendar year, a team should expect to net more than five future seconds and two firsts, especially when the team already had four other first-rounders in 2025. Teams like the Nuggets and Heat were desperate to cut money, but the Nets didn't make them pay much of a premium for the privilege. Perhaps they can flip Mann or Porter for other assets later, but that's no guarantee as both players get older and remain expensive. After all, trading Johnson alone could have brought back a first-round pick without having to pay all of Porter's extra money. The Nets aren't trying to win in 2025-26, but renting their cap space at low prices is going to hurt their ability to win in the future.
Shane Steichen dropped a big hint about the Colts’ QB battle
The Indianapolis Colts have yet to name their starting quarterback for the 2025 season, but coach Shane Steichen may have dropped a big hint about who the choice may be. Steichen said Saturday that he was close to making a decision between Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson in the ongoing camp battle. He may have tipped his hand, however, when answering a question about what traits he was looking for in his starter. “I think it’s the most consistent guy,” Steichen said, via Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. “I really do, because at the end of the day, you’ve got to be able to move the football consistently up and down the field, and making good decisions. You know what I mean? I mean, at the end of the day, you can have splash plays, but if you’re doing that sparingly and up and down. … I think it’s got to be on a consistent basis, to get to where we want to go.” The knock on Richardson all along has been his inconsistency, and it is a bad sign for his prospects that Steichen put such an emphasis on that as part of his answer. Richardson’s physical talents are undeniable, but his decision-making has left something to be desired, and the offense has at times stalled out with him at the helm of it. Jones does not bring Richardson’s big-play potential, but would likely leave the Colts with a better idea of what they will get every Sunday. Richardson has put in extra work to try to win the job, but has been sidelined for a large part of the offseason with a shoulder injury, coupled with a dislocated pinky suffered during the preseason opener. It has also been suggested that Jones entered camp as the favorite, so Richardson had to play well enough to supplant him. Jones started Saturday’s preseason game and went 7-of-11 for 101 yards. Richardson went 6-of-11 for 73 yards, but he had one big play negated due to a penalty. The Colts ultimately lost 23-19 to the Green Bay Packers.
TSN Analyst Shoots Down Bold Canadiens-Ducks Trade Idea
Speculation swirled this week about a possible blockbuster trade between the Montreal Canadiens and Anaheim Ducks, but TSN/Forbes legal analyst Eric Macramalla was quick to pour cold water on the idea. The proposed deal centered around swapping top prospects: Montreal defenseman David Reinbacher and Anaheim forward Mason McTavish. On the surface, the trade has appeal. Reinbacher, a right-shot blueliner with legitimate top-pairing potential, would give the Ducks the kind of defensive cornerstone they’ve been searching for. Meanwhile, McTavish could provide the Canadiens with a much-needed second-line center behind Nick Suzuki, filling a hole that’s lingered for several seasons. But as Macramalla pointed out, the trade simply doesn’t add up for Montreal. Moving Reinbacher would leave the Canadiens dangerously thin on the right side of their defense, an area that already lacks long-term depth. While McTavish would be a strong addition, sacrificing a potential top-pairing defenseman is a price too steep for GM Kent Hughes to consider at this stage of the rebuild. Ultimately, while the concept may generate fan debate, Macramalla stressed that the Canadiens aren’t in a position to weaken their blue line just to address their center depth. For now, the deal “won’t work.” Fan Feedback: A Split Reaction Canadiens fans were quick to weigh in on the trade chatter, with opinions ranging from firm rejection to cautious interest. Some backed Macramalla’s stance, with one fan suggesting Montreal could use “other assets the Ducks would like” and another noting the Habs’ young defense core “will be a strength of the team for the next decade.” The Curfew Boys Podcast called it “1 step forward, 2 steps back.” Others saw more merit. One account argued he’d, “Do it one for one,” calling McTavish “more established at this point.” Another echoed that sentiment: “McT is a proven player, make the trade!!” Skeptics highlighted Reinbacher’s lack of NHL experience, and others questioned his durability. Meanwhile, Gord of Thunder took a playful shot at the concept, invoking The Princess Bride: “You never trade a defenseman with top pairing ability for a second line player — it’s inconceivable.” Even creative alternatives emerged, with one fan proposing a three-way deal involving Calgary. The verdict? While many fans respect McTavish’s value, most agree that giving up Reinbacher would leave the Canadiens with a hole too big to fill.
Sophie Cunningham Offers Solution for Indiana Fever After Loss on Friday
The Indiana Fever have been dealt several bad hands throughout the season, under head coach Stephanie White. Indiana has played a majority of the season without Caitlin Clark due to injury and they recently received news that Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson would be out for the rest of the season with injuries of their own. While Clark and a few other members of the backcourt have been out, Sophie Cunningham and several other stars have taken over. On Friday, the Fever were dealt an unfortunate loss, losing to the Washington Mystics 88-84. Cunningham shared a solution for the Fever after they lost back-to-back games. "Not a lot of teams can beat us," Cunningham said. "For us it’s just remembering who we are. Got to get back to being dogs. Got to get back to being on our front foot. Not allowing teams to come in here and outwork us." The Indiana Fever have clearly proven that they are championship contenders, but injuries have plagued their season. Throughout the 2025 season, Caitlin Clark has posted 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game. All pressure lies on Sophie Cunningham and other stars on the team, but the Fever guard made it clear that as long as Indiana stays within their identity, they should find success. Cunningham has been strong for the Fever during her first season with the team, averaging 8.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. She stars alongside Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, Natasha Howard and others while Clark is on the sideline.
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