Is this the year the Cleveland Cavaliers finally get over the hump in the playoffs?
The Cleveland Cavaliers will face the Atlanta Hawks or Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2026 playoffs. Cleveland is under major pressure to go on a deep postseason run this year since the franchise hasn't advanced past the second round of the playoffs since 2018.
The Cavaliers have a talented core of Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, but some NBA scouts and execs believe the Wine and Gold's defensive struggles and shifting lineups could cost them, per ESPN.
"Harden is a master of offense, and he and Mitchell are an absolute load to handle every night," an East scout said. "But Harden has been in better shape and the referees don't give him as many calls as they used to for some reason. And it shows up on defense; he and Mitchell sometimes get torched out there."
"Allen has missed a bunch of time, and he's a big part of who they are," a scout who saw the Cavaliers recently said. "You'll get a bump because it's the playoffs, and everyone is locked in, but you still have to manage Donovan and James. ... Strus and Wade aren't good enough and Keon Ellis is too small."
"I understand the reasons they made the Harden trade, and I think it did put them in a better spot," an East executive said. "But they are going to have times where they're going to be better off with [Sam] Merrill out there on defense more than Harden. I think they'll go as far as Donovan's scoring can take them, and that's something we've seen before with his teams."
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.”
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