Cavs offseason outlook: Cleveland has some serious questions to address

With the trade-deadline acquisition of James Harden, the Cleveland Cavaliers felt ready to make a strong push toward the NBA Finals, once and for all creating their own version of success that didn’t include LeBron James.

However, despite making the Eastern Conference finals, the Cavs were swept — emphatically — by the New York Knicks.

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Harden averaged almost as many turnovers this postseason as he did made field goals (4.7 to 5.7) and did so without his usual elite playmaking. The 6-foot-5 lead guard managed just 5.5 assists per game and generally looked old — like the league is passing him by.

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It did not help matters that Evan Mobley, after taking a step up last season, stagnated offensively, to the point where one has to wonder when — or if — he’s ever going to become this unique do-it-all big man he was projected to be.

Mobley saw his free-throw percentage drop by almost 12 percentage points, and his 3-point percentage decline by over 7, resulting in him having to squeeze most of his own scoring production out from interior opportunities.

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As the Cavs enter the 2026 offseason, they have to be asking themselves some big questions, such as whether the pairing of Mobley and center Jarrett Allen works, and whether they can justify paying Harden big money to stick around.

2025-26 finish

Record: 52-30, fourth in the Eastern Conference. Lost to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals in four games.

Highlight of the season

Jaylon Tyson had a strong season despite coming back down to Earth in the playoffs. The 23-year-old averaged 13.2 points and hit a ridiculous 44.6% from long range on 4.5 attempts per game. If he can continue that type of production in future postseasons, it would be a huge boost for this club.

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Players signed for next season

Evan Mobley

Donovan Mitchell

Jarrett Allen

Max Strus

Dennis Schröder

Sam Merrill

Jaylon Tyson

Nae’qwan Tomlin

Tyrese Proctor

Key free agents

James Harden (Player option)

Dean Wade (UFA)

Keon Ellis (UFA)

Projected salary

$177,062,574

Draft…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/cavs-offseason-outlook-cleveland-has-some-serious-questions-to-address-220429259.html

Author : Morten Stig Jensen

Publish date : 2026-05-28 22:04:00

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