Where Do Cavaliers Land in New NBA Power Rankings?

The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the 2026-27 season with high expectations, looking to build on the success from a year ago.

Cleveland made the Eastern Conference Finals, losing to the New York Knicks in four games. But the Cavaliers were able to get over the second round "blockade", and this season was now going to be different.

However, Cleveland has struggled to find its footing this year, with the group playing very inconsistently from game to game. Overall, the Cavaliers own a record of 6-6 so far this season, with them sitting in the No. 6 spot of the East standings.

Cleveland still has a lot of time left to figure everything out, but this roster should be much better. With stars Donovan Mitchell and James Harden leading the way, the Cavaliers have to get this team going as the year progresses.

But in a new edition of NBA Power Rankings from Bleacher Report, the Cavaliers came in ranked at No. 12, which is two spots higher than they were a week ago. This team is still building, and there are arguments to be made that trades could be coming.

The fit between Mitchell and Harden remains a mystery, especially on the defensive side of the ball. But the Cavaliers invested a lot of money in the backcourt, and it's likely to remain this way.

Additionally, having both Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley should give the Cavaliers a strong defensive front, but the team has struggled to figure this out as well. Multiple teams have inquired about Allen in trades before, and this could be a way for the Cavaliers to bolster the roster later this year.

New forward Peyton Watson hasn't lived up to his massive contract that the Cavaliers gave him this offseason, with his offensive game going cold. Watson was supposed to give this team a legitimate three-and-D wing, but so far, the returns just haven't been there.

Cleveland has shown flashes of being able to compete with the elite teams in the East, but it hasn't stayed consistent. The Cavaliers have the talent to go after a title, but this group may need some tweaking along the roster.

The depth that they had from a year ago has been almost nonexistent, which has left them vulnerable on the floor. And with the East being stronger this season, the clock is ticking on the Cavaliers to figure it out.