The Cleveland Cavaliers as currently constructed aren't contenders, which means it's time for president of basketball operations Koby Altman to re-tool the roster.
The good news for Altman is that Donovan Mitchell still hasn't turned 30, and he's under contract for at least one more season beyond this one. Then there's 24-year-old Evan Mobley, who's locked in with Cleveland through the 2029-30 season.
Although the Cavaliers' 2025-26 season has been disappointing, they've discovered a couple of key (and cheap!) piece in Craig Porter Jr. and Jaylon Tyson. The emergence of these two guys allows Altman to feel better about trading Darius Garland and either Max Strus or De'Andre Hunter, which leads us to a discussion of three Cavs players Altman really needs to find deals for soon.
Cavaliers need to move on from Darius Garland and two others ASAP
Darius Garland
The Mitchell-Garland partnership has run its course. Altman better trade Garland before more injuries plummet his value. Unfortunately, it seems like the Cavs will wait until the offseason to make any big moves (which affects this entire list), but Garland should absolutely be gone this summer.
The Cavs should 100 percent pick up Porter's 2026-27 team option (or extend him!) and consider making him the starting point guard. Porter lacks the scoring talent of Garland, of course, but he's actually a better fit alongside Mitchell due to all of the little things he does on the court to impact winning on both ends. He's a much better defender than Garland and a bigger body.
Jarrett Allen
Similar to the Mitchell-Garland situation, it's time for the Cavs to move on from the Mobley-Allen redundancy. With Mobley capable of spreading the floor a bit with his shooting, these two guys actually aren't that similar.
Even so, Cleveland just feels too clunky and congested when they are both on the floor.
The rim protection benefits are boundless with both on the roster, but teams have figured out how to undo that advantage by drawing Allen and Mobley out onto the perimeter with an onslaught of screen-and-roll actions (this is the NBA, after all). It'll hurt to hand Allen over to another team, especially if it's in the East, but there's no way Cleveland should trade Mobley this early in his career.
Max Strus/De'Andre Hunter
Hunter's name isn't a surprise feature on this list, but Strus' might be to some. Cleveland doesn't need both.
That is especially true with Tyson breaking out and Sam Merrill on a great contract (hovering around $9 million-10 million per season through 2028-29). Now that we're here, maybe the Cavs should trade both Strus and Hunter!
Strus would certainly attract plenty of suitors, his recent injury notwithstanding. He's making $16.7 million next year, but Cleveland could let Tyson and Merrill eat up all his minutes and move that money somewhere else in a cost-cutting trade.
Koby Altman and the Cavaliers must consider the bigger picture
Altman should feel good moving forward into 2026-27 with a core of Mitchell, Mobley, Tyson, Merrill, and Porter Jr. Heck, bringing back Nae'Qwan Tomlin in a backup big role wouldn't be a bad idea, either. His athleticism is insane and it looks like he still has plenty of room for improvement.
You might look at that group and think it's not enough, but think again, because you're not factoring in any of the assets/players Cleveland would be getting back in trades involving Garland, Allen, Strus, or Hunter.
Even if Altman traded those guys primarily for financial flexibility (and didn't get equal player value in return), Cleveland would be in a healthier spot than now. After all, if you're not going to contend, you might as well stay flexible.