Magic Johnson Lists Cavaliers Among East's Strong Teams for 2026-27

Earvin "Magic" Johnson ran through both conferences in a post on X, and Cleveland came up in the section on the East.

"Giannis is now in Miami, the Pistons will still be a strong team again along with the Cavaliers," Johnson wrote. "And if the trade goes through and Kawhi ends up in Toronto, the East is loaded!"

Johnson listed San Antonio and Oklahoma City as the favorites in the West, with Denver, Minnesota, Los Angeles, and Houston behind them.

The Cleveland Cavaliers finished 52-30 last season, fourth in the Eastern Conference and second in the Central Division. Cleveland had gone 64-18 the season before.

In the playoffs, the Cavaliers beat Toronto in seven games in the first round. They then fell behind Detroit 2-0 in the semifinals and won that series in seven games as well. New York swept Cleveland in the conference finals. It was the franchise's first trip to the conference finals since 2018.

Evan Mobley scored 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting with 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block in Game 3 against the Knicks. Donovan Mitchell finished that game with 23 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals in 38 minutes.

On Feb. 4, the Cavaliers traded Darius Garland and a 2026 second-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers for James Harden. Harden appeared in 26 regular-season games for Cleveland.

Mitchell agreed to a four-year, $273 million maximum extension on July 7. The deal carries a player option for the 2030-31 season and a full trade kicker, Shams Charania of ESPN reported, citing CAA co-head of basketball Austin Brown.

Harden declined a $42.3 million player option for 2026-27. Harden and the Cavaliers have been working through a new multiyear deal, Shams Charania of ESPN reported.

Since free agency opened, Cleveland has lost Dean Wade to Philadelphia, Keon Ellis to Brooklyn, and Larry Nance Jr. to Indiana. The Cavaliers re-signed Thomas Bryant, selected Meleek Thomas with the No. 34 overall pick in the 2026 draft, and signed Ernest Udeh Jr. to a two-way contract.

Thomas was named to the 2026 NBA Summer League First Team. Through four games in Las Vegas, he averaged 27.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 50% from the field and 43.8% from 3-point range.

LeBron James signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. Cleveland had been viewed as the front-runner for much of the summer, and the Cavaliers have since been linked to Jonathan Kuminga and Mario Hezonja.

Miami acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis from Milwaukee on June 23. The Bucks received Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, the No. 13 overall pick, three additional future first-round picks, and a second-round pick.

Toronto agreed on June 30 to acquire Kawhi Leonard from the Clippers for Brandon Ingram, Gradey Dick, unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, a 2027 first-round swap, and two second-round picks. The Raptors announced July 9 that they would wait on the outcome of the NBA's investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented the salary cap before completing the deal.

Detroit finished first in the Eastern Conference last season. The Indiana Pacers went 19-63 without Tyrese Haliburton, who missed the season recovering from a torn right Achilles tendon.

Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson enters his third season in Cleveland. Training camps around the league open in late September.