The Cleveland Cavaliers didn't want to wait until the offseason to shake things up, so they traded James Harden for Darius Garland. It's a move that's worked out for both sides, but what matters most for Cleveland is how things will fare in the playoffs. As Zach Lowe said on his podcast, the pressure is on for their season to extend into June.
"It's finals or bust for the Cavs. They're out of the spotlight right now for whatever reason, but it's finals or bust for the Cavs."
It's Donovan Mitchell's fourth season in Ohio, and all that Cleveland has to show for it is one first-round exit and two second-round exits. That's not what most people thought would happen when the trade happened in 2022, and it's certainly not what the Cavaliers envisioned.
Mitchell will be eligible to sign an extension this summer, and Cleveland wants to keep him, but that's not the only reason why it's finals or bust.
The Cavaliers have the highest payroll in the league. Their maneuvering at the trade deadline helped them avoid hefty tax penalties, but they're still in the second tax apron. That's not a spot any team wants to be in, but the only way to justify it is to win a title.
The pressure is on the Cavaliers to make a title run
Cleveland has yet to show that it is that kind of team. The Harden trade has helped significantly: the team is 16-6 with him in the lineup. But we all know one of the main concerns when the news of the deal first broke — he has a history of not showing up in elimination games.
If the playoffs started today (and there will still be a lot of shuffling between now and April 12), the Cavaliers would play the Hawks in the first round. They've looked like a different team since the trade deadline, too, but that's a team Cleveland should want to see.
Assuming they make it past the first round, they'd likely run into top-ranked Detroit, assuming the Pistons beat the No. 8 seed. Cade Cunningham is expected to return in time for the playoffs, and even if he had to miss some time at the beginning of the postseason, he could be back in the lineup either before the second round or in time for it.
Listen, Detroit doesn't have playoff experience outside of last year's first-round loss to New York (and that counts for more than something). But the Pistons love to play physical, and speaking of, would the Cavaliers have an answer for Cunningham? He's capable of taking a game over.
This isn't to say that Cleveland is staring another semifinal exit in the face, but more so that it's going to be an absolute fight even to make it to the conference finals. If the Cavaliers were to beat the Pistons, they could face the Celtics in the ECF. If you're thinking that securing the No. 3 seed would be better for Detroit, that'd mean it'd probably face Boston in the second round.
As a fan, you should feel more optimistic than you did before the deadline, but by no means did that erase all of the team's concerns. Cleveland hasn't taken the real test yet. Let's hope it has been studying enough not just to pass, but to come as close to acing it as possible. That's the reality of the Cavs' situation.