Why Cavs are holding out Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, 7 others in season finale

The Cleveland Cavaliers will close their regular season without Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and more. Unsurprisingly, in Game 82 against the Washington Wizards at Rocket Arena, the Cavs have elected to hold out the majority of the rotation to save their legs in anticipation of the 2026 NBA Playoffs.

Along with Cleveland’s top four starters, Sam Merrill, Dean Wade, Keon Ellis, Thomas Bryant, and Dennis Schroder will be out of action. Aside from Harden and Schroder, who are resting, the team has injury designations for each player who isn’t suiting up.

“Health is priority No. 1, and we’re just managing some bumps and bruises,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said last week. “It’s not necessarily, ‘Man, these guys aren’t going to be ready for the playoffs.’ It’s just managing, some guys need a break, they need to heal a little bit. So we’ve erred on that [side of caution].”

Mitchell has been playing through a right ankle twist he suffered late in the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers on April 5. He didn’t suit up the next day in Memphis, but had a sensational game on Wednesday versus the Atlanta Hawks. Cleveland’s All-Star guard sat for the rematch in Georgia on Friday.

Allen’s right knee injury will be one to monitor in the first round of the postseason. Although he was dominant in a return vs. the Miami Heat on March 27 and has been effective in his last five games, Allen hasn’t quite looked right physically.

“I know he’s going through some stuff,” Atkinson said in Wednesday’s postgame. “There’s a reason he missed games, and I saw it tonight, too. So we’ll get feedback for him, get him some treatment. See where we’re at.”

Mobley has been at his best since the All-Star break, but Cleveland wants to ensure his left calf is as strong as it can be. Bryant recently strained the same muscle in the same leg and hasn’t played in the team’s last three games.

Merrill is maintaining a bothersome left hamstring, Wade is handling his previously sprained right ankle, and Ellis is dealing with a left knee contusion.

Luckily, the Cavs will have a full week to recharge as much as possible before tipping off the playoffs next weekend. Their first-round opponent comes down to the Hawks and Toronto Raptors, which, according to the schedule, could ultimately hinge on the result of the Boston Celtics-Orlando Magic game.

Atlanta is resting many key rotational players against the Miami Heat, while the Raptors are sending out their usual cast versus the Brooklyn Nets.

If the Magic win, Cleveland is guaranteed to face the Hawks.

The only way Toronto sneaks into the fifth seed is with a victory and wins from the Celtics and Heat.