The Cleveland Cavaliers have received a new "bold" trade prediction ahead of the 2026 NBA trade deadline.
The Cleveland Cavaliers dropped to 24-20 on the season after losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday (1/19).
If the regular season ended today, the Cavaliers would be in the NBA play-in tournament as the seventh seed.
It has been a disappointing season thus far for the Wine and Gold, who had the top record in the East last season. Some people around the NBA believe the Cavaliers need to make a blockbuster trade to jumpstart their season.
However, NBA writer Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report doesn't think it will happen.
"The Cleveland Cavaliers have been one of the bigger disappointments in the league this season, and their being so far behind last season's 64-win pace made them an obvious target of trade chatter," Bailey wrote. "This is the fourth year of the Donovan Mitchell-Evan Mobley-Darius Garland-Jarrett Allen core, and it's pretty easy to pick at its philosophical underpinnings.
"Garland and Mitchell are undersized, at least relative to most other starting backcourts. Ideally, with their two-big look, Mobley would be a more reliable three-point shooter. The clashes have been a little more glaring during this slow start. And frankly, four years is just a long time for a basketball player to go without a shakeup.
"But part of Cleveland's struggles have been injuries for Garland. And as he and the rest of the team has started to get closer to whole, the Cavs have shown hints of the dominant team they were last season. Those hints are going to morph into longer looks between now and February, and the front office will ultimately decide to give this group one more chance in the playoffs."
The Cavaliers have the most expensive roster in the NBA. They are the only team above the second apron. Owner Dan Gilbert can't be happy about paying all of this money for a mediocre team.
With that said, if the Cavaliers continue to struggle, Gilbert may tell Koby Altman to make a trade. After all, Cleveland hasn't advanced past the second round of the playoffs since 2018.
The 2026 NBA trade deadline is February 5 at 3 p.m. ET. Let's see if the Cavaliers do anything.
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