The Cleveland Cavaliers could blow up their roster this offseason if they fail in the 2026 playoffs.
The Cleveland Cavaliers haven't advanced past the second round of the playoffs since 2018. That was the last year of the second LeBron James era.
Cleveland is expected to reach the conference finals this year since they have James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen leading the way. But what if the team fails again?
“I feel secure in saying if the Cavs don’t make the conference finals, nobody is safe. Top down. Everyone’s fair game to be traded,” Cleveland.com columnist Jimmy Watkins said. “There is a scenario here where the Cavs decide that it’s better for them to move on from Donovan.
“But it’s tricky because if it plays out the way, like the way it looks like it’s going to play out right now, where Donovan is going to play out that last year on his deal ... it’s crazy, but that makes the first half of next regular season absolutely fascinating because you don’t want to lose a player like that for nothing.”
The Cavaliers acquired Mitchell from the Utah Jazz before the 2022-23 season. Game 5 of the conference semifinals is the furthest they have gone in the playoffs with Mitchell.
Mitchell is eligible to sign an extension with Cleveland this offseason. Harden has a player option for next season that he's expected to decline to enter free agency. If the Cavaliers don't perform well in the 2026 playoffs, there is a scenario where Mitchell doesn't sign an extension and becomes a trade candidate and Harden leaves the team in free agency.
The Cavaliers were the No. 1 seed in the East last season. They swept the Miami Heat in the first round but lost to the Indiana Pacers in the second round. As of this writing, Cleveland is the fourth seed in the East and would face the Atlanta Hawks in the first round.
It will be fascinating to see how far the Cavaliers go in the 2026 playoffs. The roster is under major pressure to perform well.
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