Everyone will be paying attention to the Cleveland Cavaliers next season, partly because of how it’ll dictate what their future looks like.
Writing for ESPN, Bobby Marks got into just how important 2025-26 will be.
If the team doesn’t find great success, there will be a lot of questions about what the roster should and can look like moving forward.
The Cavaliers will soon be paying a lot of money for their biggest stars, so will it be worth it?
“The core of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen is under contract through at least the 2027-28 season. (Mitchell has a player option and could become a free agent in 2027.) The true test will come next offseason if the Cavaliers do not advance far into the playoffs to justify such a hefty bill. In 2026-27, Cleveland has a projected $240 million in salary and is once again set to be a second apron team,” Marks wrote.
Marks makes it clear: the Cavaliers need to have a hit season and then also do well in the playoffs, or else they will likely shake things up and change the lineup.
The combination of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen makes a lot of sense on paper.
And even in practice, this group can do some great things.
But they haven’t been able to do enough.
Even with all four of them playing well in 2025-25, the team fell short of its goals and wasn’t able to storm through the playoffs.
If that happens again, the front office will weigh all of its options.
Why would they continue to pay so much money for a squad that simply isn’t working out?
These are the tough questions that the Cavaliers might have to ask at this time next year.
NEXT: Insider Raises Big Question About Evan Mobley
