The Cleveland Cavaliers have been named to a very interesting rivalry list heading into the new NBA season.
The Cleveland Cavaliers will be entering this upcoming NBA season with a lot to prove after fizzling out in the Eastern Conference Finals. Cleveland was able to get out of the second round, but they were eventually swept by the New York Knicks, who went on to win the title.
This entire offseason has been focused on the Cavaliers trying to build upon that success, adding complementary pieces. Cleveland tried to land star LeBron James, but he ultimately decided to head to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Instead, the Cavaliers landed defensive star Peyton Watson, a move that could turn out to be one of the best of the summer. But heading into the season, the Cavaliers have landed on an interesting list from ESPN.
With the NBA season starting up soon, Zach Kram of ESPN decided to rank the top-10 rivalries to watch for the upcoming year. Among them, the Cavaliers were named rivals with the Phoenix Suns, at least at the ownership level.
Kram mentioned Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and Suns owner Mat Ishbia as being rivals. The two both run mortgage companies in Michigan, and it seems that the business rivalry has carried over to the league.
When Ishbia was voted in to become the Suns owner, Gilbert was the only one to undergo abstention. So this rivalry will be one to watch as the year draws closer, even if the two teams are traditional sense as a rivalry.
Back in 2023, Ishbia was on Bill Simmons' podcast, discussing Gilbert. He made it very clear about the feelings between the two owners.
"He doesn't like me and I don't like him," Ishbia said.
The two teams clearly don't work well together, and it's created a rivalry at the top of the franchises. The Cavaliers and Suns haven't made a trade since Ishbia bought the team, and that is likely to continue.
The two sides don't play each other very often, so the "rivalry" can't fully blossom on the court. But there is a possibility that the teams could meet up in the NBA Finals one year, which would push this ownership rivalry into more of the spotlight.
For now, each side will try to put their best foot forward for the upcoming year, with each having different expectations. Cleveland seems to be NBA title-or-bust coming into the season, while the Suns just want to get back to the postseason.
