Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are all locks (3)
The first few of these are going to be easy. To start, Donovan Mitchell is the face of the franchise and a perennial MVP candidate. There's absolutely zero chance that Cleveland would put him up for grabs.
He's set to make over $50 million dollars next season, with a $53 million player option for the 2027-28 season. At that point Mitchell will be 31, but if he's performing at a level even close to his current one, the Cavaliers are going to give him the most he can get.
Evan Mobley is similarly easy. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is the cornerstone of Cleveland's future and won't be for sale in this exercise. While his name might get floated around in Giannis Antetokounmpo trade talks, that won't be a factor in this.
He's under contract until 2030 on an ascending deal meaning that at his peak Mobley will be making north of $60 million per year. While he's struggled a bit offensively this year compared to last year, the 24-year old still has a ton of room to grow with his jumper and self-creation flashes. Not to mention that he's already a top-five defensive player in the league.
Lastly, Jarrett Allen — while not as a crucial as Mitchell or Mobley — is still far too important to risk letting go.
He's under contract for three more seasons after this one and while going over $30 million per year is expensive, Allen is a very good player. After a shaky start, he has dominated in the wake of Mobley's recent calf injury. He's a mobile big with excellent defensive instincts, rebounding prowess and finishing ability.
Allen can function with Mobley on the court and without him, as we've recently seen. Keeping both big men on the roster will give them a high level of defensive security and injury insurance going forwards.