The 2026 playoffs are almost here, so the Cleveland Cavaliers must get their postseason rotation figured out soon.
The 2025-26 regular season is almost over and the Cleveland Cavaliers will be in the 2026 playoffs.
With that said, head coach Kenny Atkinson must establish his playoff rotation soon, per Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report.
"Head coach Kenny Atkinson has a good problem on his hands with the return of Max Strus from a broken foot, as this is the healthiest his wing rotation has been all year," Swartz wrote. "Atkinson admitted to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com that he probably won't be able to play 10 guys in the playoffs, meaning the next few weeks will determine who sees postseason minutes.
"Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, James Harden and Jarrett Allen are all locked in. Dennis Schröder is safe as a backup point guard and Strus will have a spot. That leaves Jaylon Tyson, Sam Merrill, Dean Wade, Keon Ellis and Thomas Bryant to fill the final three roles. As Cleveland tries to climb as high as possible in the East while still getting everyone acclimated to Harden, the playoff rotation should take shape."
The Cavaliers are under immense pressure to go on a deep run in the 2026 playoffs. Cleveland hasn't advanced past the second round of the playoffs since 2018. Mitchell, one of the top players in the NBA, has never reached the conference finals in his career.
Harden has reached the conference finals a few times. He also made the NBA Finals in 2012 with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Bryant is the only player on the Cavaliers who has won a title.
If Cleveland doesn't play well in the 2026 playoffs, could Koby Altman break up the roster and rebuild around Mobley? It's possible. There's also a possibility that the Cavaliers will heavily recruit LeBron James back home since James becomes a free agent this summer for the first time since 2018.
It will be fascinating to see how Cleveland fares in the 2026 playoffs. The pressure is on the Wine and Gold to at least make the conference finals.
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