NBA champion Kendrick Perkins took a huge shot at the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Former NBA player Kendrick Perkins, who is now an analyst at ESPN, took a massive shot at the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.
Perkins, who played for the Cavaliers during his NBA career, said the Wine and Gold are "soft."
The Cavaliers are 51-29 on the season. They are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings. If the regular season ended today, Cleveland would face the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2026 playoffs.
With James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen leading the way, the Cavaliers are under significant pressure to reach the conference finals this year. Mitchell, Mobley and Allen have never been to the conference finals. Harden made the NBA Finals in 2012 with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He hasn't been back since.
Cleveland had the best record in the East last season but lost to the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the playoffs in five games. Many people who cover the NBA believe the Cavaliers' front office could blow up the roster this offseason if the 2026 playoffs aren't kind to Kenny Atkinson's group.
“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, while 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.
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