Going into the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers had very low expectations. As the season progressed, those expectations began to increase. The Cavs looked like they were positioned to make the playoffs, but they got bit by the injury bug and lost key games down the stretch. As a result, they were forced to earn their way into the playoffs through the play-in tournament.
The Cavs’ playoff hopes were dashed as they fell to the Brooklyn Nets 115-108 in Brooklyn, followed by a loss to the Atlanta Hawks 107-101 in Cleveland.
Had the Cavs not suffered key injuries down the stretch, they would have made the playoffs. More likely than not, the Cavs could have ended up as the No. 5 seed. This would’ve set up a matchup with the No. 4 seed Philadelphia 76ers, who could end up being the Cavs’ newest rival.
Could the Cavaliers have won that series? Most likely not. Regardless, it could’ve gone the full seven games. Plus, each game would’ve gone right down to the wire. It might’ve been one of the best opening-round series in NBA history!
Even though the Cavs fell short in the play-in and missed the playoffs, they’re still contenders. Now, the Cavaliers are not part of the upper echelon of championship contenders in the Eastern Conference. Guess what? That’s perfectly alright because the Cavs are still a very young team.
Injuries were of course a major issue for the Cavaliers during the season. However, there were two problems that were bigger than the injuries that occurred throughout the season. The first problem is that Darius Garland and Collin Sexton can’t be the starting backcourt.
When Garland and Sexton were playing together, as well as when Sexton was on the court without Garland, the offense went stagnant. There were times throughout the season where it felt like Sexton was our version of James Harden (from when he played with the Houston Rockets). Sexton would just stand and dribble, and nobody else moved around to try and make a play, and for reference, this was more so the season prior, when Sexton was mostly healthy.
The second problem is that as of right now, the Cavs don’t have a starting small forward. When he wasn’t injured, there’s that word again, Lauri Markkanen was in that role. Markkanen is 7′ 0″, so he’s not your prototypical small forward. As a result, opponents were able to take advantage of the mismatch often.
The rest of the league has gone, to a large degree, in the direction of small-ball and has often prioritized spacing and players that can create from the perimeter themselves, so starting a 7′ 0″ guy at the small forward position doesn’t make sense.
Cleveland has a great core of players to build around. Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen both made the NBA All-Star game while Evan Mobley and Isaac Okoro were part of the Rising Stars game. Despite this, there are two trades that the Cavaliers should explore this offseason*.
*Neither trade involves Garland, Allen, or Mobley. Everyone else is fair game.
The first would involve the Utah Jazz.
A hypothetical trade to consider with the Jazz
The Utah Jazz were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. It continues their recent string of often short appearances. Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, who many people consider to be a superstar, was unable to show what he can do deep into the playoffs. This should be the final straw for Mitchell and he should request a trade out of Utah.
Now, Mitchell has not done so to this point, but with how things have shaken out with Utah in recent seasons, and rumors surrounding the team throughout the season, a potential trade request from Mitchell doesn’t seem far-fetched. Here’s the deal we believe could interest both sides, particularly in that scenario.
A backcourt pairing of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell would be special. Especially when you think about those two being paired with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. The Garland-Allen pick-and-roll (PnR) was deadly this now-past season. If you add Mitchell into the mix, look out! Donovan can hit the mid-range shot, so it would give Garland more options.
Adding Donovan Mitchell would also take some of the load off of Darius Garland. There were way too many points in the season where everything was on Garland, and that clearly wore him down.
Since Mitchell can score 25+ points in his sleep, the defense wouldn’t be able to hone in on Garland. So if it’s a close game in the fourth quarter and it’s coming down to the final few minutes, Garland wouldn’t feel like he has to make every single play. In addition, Mitchell as a combo guard is a more than capable passer, that can create for others in crunch time as well.
The new small forward would be Caris LeVert in this case. LeVert is a capable shooter when open, and he’s a good mid-range pull-up guy who can also attack the basket. He should be able to coexist with those two both being good passers, and Mobley being a solid one in his own right.
Utah would get multiple young pieces, including something of a replacement for Mitchell in Collin Sexton. I acknowledge Sexton isn’t Mitchell of course.
To make the money work Sexton would need to command a substantial salary from the Jazz in a sign-and-trade that saw him land in Utah. In this case, a four-year, $70 million or so deal, with Sexton coming off a meniscus tear doesn’t seem outside the realm of possibility. This is also with Jordan Clarkson’s deal factored into things for Utah, for what it’s worth.
Isaac Okoro, lastly, is unproven, but is a capable defender, and could become a nice piece if he develops further offensively in coming years.
And lastly, the future draft pick compensation is sends Utah a 2025 first that’s top-10 protected from Cleveland, as a sweetener for Mitchell, and Utah sends Cleveland a 2025 second.
From there, we’ll examine a potential Cleveland trade with the Washington Wizards.
A second blockbuster for the Cavs to consider, with this one involving the Wizards
The second trade would go as follows between the Cavs and Wizards.
The Washington Wizards haven’t been able to go anywhere in the playoffs. They’ve been able to make the playoffs, but not make any significant damage. Thus, the Wizards are wasting Bradley Beal’s career.
Now, there hasn’t been a trade request from Beal, but at this juncture, both sides would be better-suited to go their separate ways, and the Wizards should be looking to trade Beal.
The backcourt pairing of Darius Garland and Bradley Beal would be absolutely fantastic, meanwhile, for Cleveland! Yes they have similar skill sets, but with the shooting abilities of both, it’d make for a dynamic star duo. The offense would flow so easily off that, and it would be majestic to watch.
Just like the first trade, there would be way less pressure on Garland. He wouldn’t feel like he has to score or make a play on every single possession. He would have a running mate who can play on the ball but also play off the ball.
When Bradley Beal is consistently hitting his shot from the outside, that brings an extra defender to him. What does that do? It allows for the others like a Lauri Markkanen or Kevin Love, in bench situations for them in this case, to have a wide-open shot. It also could bring the big man out to the perimeter, which opens the lane for Mobley and Allen.
Now from Washington’s side here, they’d land Cleveland’s 2022 first-rounder, at #14 overall, with the Cavs technically first making the selection then trading its rights, and Cleveland’s 2025 first, with a top-5 protection is also added.
From there, a Sexton sign-and-trade would be in the range of four years and $74 million, and while LeVert could be an expiring asset, he could possibly be a player Washington looks to keep long term as well.
If the Cavs were to make either of these trades, they become a very scary team. They would also be put into the mix with the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, and Milwaukee Bucks as Eastern Conference title contenders.