By Kevin McCormick | CLE Leader Cavaliers Beat Writer | June 6, 2026
Look, I’m going to be honest with you. I’ve been staring at my laptop for about 72 hours straight, rewatching clips of that Game 1 collapse, alternating between bargaining and acceptance like I’m speed-running the five stages of grief. We were up twenty-two points in the fourth quarter. Twenty-two. In a city that blew a 3-1 World Series lead, had The Drive, The Fumble, and The Decision, I should’ve known. I should’ve known.
The Knicks swept us. In the Eastern Conference Finals. The clincher was 130-93 — a 37-point beatdown in our own building. All but one of the Knicks’ wins this postseason have been by double digits, with an average margin of victory of 23.7 points. They didn’t just beat us. They exposed us. And now, while New York plays for a title and Cleveland goes fishing, the Cavaliers have to figure out how to close a gap that looked a lot more like a canyon under the bright lights of May.
So let’s talk about what needs to happen — and, because this is Cleveland, what will inevitably keep me up at night.
Priority No. 1: Lock Down Donovan Mitchell (Please, For the Love of God)
Mitchell has two seasons remaining on his contract. The Cavaliers can offer a four-year, $272 million extension beginning on July 7, or Mitchell could wait until next year, when he would be eligible for the five-year supermax contract worth $350 million. If you’re a Cleveland fan, you already know the drill: will he stay, or will another star break our hearts and bolt for a bigger market?
Koby Altman has tried to get ahead of the narrative. He said, “When we have a superstar of his caliber that wants to be in Cleveland, that’s our best ambassador, that’s our best recruiter. There’s guys that are here that wouldn’t be here without him, quite frankly.” Altman added, “I think the bigger question is, the one that’s been answered is, does he want to be here and does he want to be here long term? And I think he’s answered that.”
Great. Wonderful. Except — and forgive the Cleveland PTSD — if Mitchell opts to play out the last guaranteed year of his deal next season, he can decline his 2027-28 player option to enter unrestricted free agency. That’s an outcome the Cavs must avoid, which means trade talks and a potential franchise reset could follow Mitchell’s refusal to sign. Mitchell averaged 27.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.5 steals per game in 2025-26. He earned All-NBA Second Team honors. You don’t let that walk. You can’t let that walk. You offer him whatever he wants and you staple the pen to his hand.
The Harden Question: Cleveland’s Most Dangerous Game
Here’s where it gets spicy. James Harden has a $42.3 million player option that he is expected to decline and then re-sign with the Cavaliers on a longer deal with a lower annual salary. According to several reports, Harden will opt out of his player option with the Cavaliers to re-sign a new, two-year deal worth about $60 million.
On paper, this is elegant. More guaranteed money for Harden, a smaller cap hit that gets the Cavaliers out of the dreaded second apron and frees Altman to actually make moves. Harden averaged 20.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game for the Cavaliers in 2025-26. Those are real numbers from a guy who stabilized the whole operation after the trade from the Clippers.
But — and there’s always a but — as Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes wrote, “Harden has a long history of, let’s say, fraught contract situations. He’ll agitate for an exit the moment he’s unhappy with anything.” Harden has been traded by every team he’s played on. Every. Single. One. We’re talking about a man with more breakups than a Taylor Swift album. Until the ink is dry, I’m not sleeping.
And then there’s the other Game 1 memory that haunts me: The Cavaliers should have won Game 1 in New York at MSG. Trailing by 22 points with 8:19 left in the fourth quarter, the Knicks had Jalen Brunson go at Harden on defense, and it got ugly for Harden and Cleveland. The defensive limitations are real. A new contract doesn’t fix those legs.
The Second Apron: Cleveland’s Invisible Opponent
Let’s talk about the real villain of this offseason: the CBA. The Cavaliers are entering the offseason with 12 players under contract, totaling $224.7 million in salary. They’re currently set to operate above the luxury tax line, the first apron, and the second apron. The Cavaliers’ $281 million payroll is the largest in franchise history, and Cleveland is the only team finishing over the second apron this season.
This matters because the Cavaliers seem unlikely to exceed the second apron again this upcoming season. Doing so would freeze their 2034 first-round pick. If they do it again for a third straight year, that 2033 first-round pick would fall to the end of the first round. They would ideally like to avoid that, along with any further frozen picks.
If Harden restructures and they duck under the second apron, they could sign-and-trade their own free agents to acquire players already under contract, trade cash, have access to the $6 million taxpayer mid-level exception, and regain the ability to aggregate salaries in a trade while taking back 100 percent or less of their outgoing salary. That’s not a treasure chest, but for a team this capped out, it’s the difference between standing still and actually improving.
The Giannis Dream (That Cleveland Wisely Won’t Chase)
I know, I know. Every Cavs fan with a heartbeat has thought about it. But here’s the reality: according to early offseason reports, the Cavaliers don’t seem very interested in the Evan Mobley for Giannis Antetokounmpo swap with the Milwaukee Bucks. And honestly? That’s the right call.
Mobley, at 24, is regarded in Cleveland as the sort of player who could offer a legitimate bridge to a successful post-Mitchell future. “The Cavaliers, remembering how hard life was after James walked away from the franchise — twice — are obviously reluctant to surrender Mobley.” We’ve been burned before. Trading your 24-year-old defensive anchor for a rental of a 31-year-old superstar — even one as transcendent as Giannis — feels like a very Cleveland way to mortgage the future for a present that might not be enough anyway.
All signs point to more minor moves this summer for the Cavaliers than anything big and bold. It’s the run-it-back approach. Which is either disciplined roster management or the kind of thing that keeps you on the “good but never great” treadmill forever. Welcome to the duality of being a Cleveland fan.
The Draft: Make No. 29 Count
The Cleveland Cavaliers should be looking to fill some needs they have at the wing or find a pure backup center to Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. With the 29th pick, this is about finding contributors, not saviors. Here are the names to watch:
- Koa Peat, F, Arizona: Peat currently appears to be the most popular choice for the Cavaliers among NBA Draft reporters and analysts. The 6-foot-8 forward has a defensive presence, which is why most people are matching him up with Cleveland. Ideally, Peat lands with a team known for development, where they can help his limited jumper and offensive consistency.
- Dailyn Swain, W, Texas: Swain is a primary two-way wingman that the Cavs should be high on their board. He’s not the best three-point shooter, but his ability to get to the basket would match up with some of Cleveland’s best. He is also an above-average free throw shooter, which gives him the potential to develop a jumper.
- Meleek Thomas, W, Arkansas: Among projections at No. 29, Arkansas’ Meleek Thomas is a skilled scorer in need of defensive improvement.
It’s rare for the Cavs to have a first round selection, as they alternate years with draft picks until 2030, sending every other selection to the Utah Jazz from the Donovan Mitchell trade. So this pick matters. Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman has had an eye for developing young talent in Cleveland. The team’s last two draft picks, Proctor and Tyson, both played regular season roles to help the Cavaliers secure the No. 4 seed in the East. If they can find another Tyrese Proctor-type steal, that would be massive.
Free Agency Targets: Bargain Hunting with Big Dreams
Here’s where Cleveland’s cap situation becomes a real straitjacket. Even if Harden restructures, the Cavs will mostly be working with minimum contracts and the taxpayer MLE. But there are two intriguing names floating around:
LeBron James: Yes, that LeBron James. It’s no surprise the Cavaliers are heavily linked back to LeBron this offseason. It would be the perfect spot for one final season, and he could elevate the Cavs to serious contender status. LeBron showed that despite being over 40, he could still take over a playoff game or even a whole series. The Cavs are desperate for that kind of talent to help take pressure off James Harden and Donovan Mitchell.
He’d be a perfect fit for the Cavaliers, who desperately needed a starting small forward. LeBron would also bring a championship mindset to a locker room with Harden and Donovan Mitchell. The Cavs can’t offer more than the $3.9 million veteran’s minimum without making major changes to the roster. Would LeBron take that? For a farewell Cleveland tour? I want to believe, but I’ve also been hurt before. A lot.
Collin Sexton: The comeback kid narrative writes itself. Sexton provided 15 points per game for the Chicago Bulls this season and could have similar production back in Cleveland off the bench. The Cavaliers have a lot of situational role players who contribute from the bench but lack a talented scorer who can take over games. Sexton is a younger and better scoring version of Dennis Schroder, who the Cavs could be looking to trade this offseason.
The Players Cleveland Can’t Afford to Lose
Here’s the quiet crisis: Dean Wade, Larry Nance Jr., Thomas Bryant, and Keon Ellis are slated to be unrestricted free agents. And other teams are already circling. Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade is hitting free agency this summer and is expected to have a market from a few different teams. According to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, the Suns are one of said teams looking to sign Wade.
Wade’s defense was key to Cleveland limiting Cade Cunningham in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Losing him — and potentially Ellis too, as the Sixers eye both players — would gut the depth that carried this team through two seven-game series. You know what’s a very Cleveland thing? Losing your key role players to bigger-market teams because you can’t afford to keep them. It’s practically our civic tradition.
Coaching: Atkinson Gets Another Shot (Is That Enough?)
Coach Kenny Atkinson will be back for a third season despite some wondering if he was going to be fired after the sweep by the Knicks. After 64 regular-season wins and the top seed in the East in 2024-25, the Cavaliers had 52 victories in the regular season and were the fourth seed in the East. However, they did get to the conference finals for the first time in eight years. Atkinson dealt with more roster upheaval and injuries in his second season. The Cavaliers had 41 starting lineup combinations during the regular season.
I don’t hate the decision. But the concerns are real. Atkinson relied more on Sam Merrill and Dennis Schroder in the Eastern Conference Finals, with Ellis getting only 23 total minutes. This was one of Atkinson’s many questionable acts throughout the playoffs. And