Cavaliers stayed quiet this offseason — and that might be exactly what they needed

The Cleveland Cavaliers didn't need a massive overhaul in the 2025 NBA offseason. Their summer was one based around opportunity.

With the well-noted injuries to both Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton, the Cavaliers have their shot in 2025-26. The Eastern Conference is theirs for the taking.

That does not mean Cleveland was completely inactive. They had their moments to make small but savvy maneuvers. Their efforts did not go unnoticed. Kevin Pelton of ESPN was tasked with delivering offseason grades for all 30 NBA teams. The NBA writer handed out a solid 'B' to the Cavaliers.

Pelton wrote, "[Lonzo] Ball was a low-cost pickup for Cleveland to help replace Ty Jerome, lost to help manage the Cavaliers' sizeable tax bill. So too was bringing back Larry Nance Jr. as a third center. Despite the loss of Jerome, Cleveland looks like the favorite to win the East."

Offseason fireworks were unnecessary for the Cleveland Cavaliers

Pelton's grade is certainly fair and representative of the quiet, yet not unremarkable summer. The Cavaliers took a minimalistic approach. However, that is all they really needed.

To Pelton's point, Cleveland should enter the upcoming season as favorites to win the Eastern Conference. The additions of Ball and Nance should add to the ceiling of what this group can accomplish.

There is an overarching theme for both of those players. That would be one of health. Ball and Nance have both been sizeable question marks in recent years when it comes to their availability.

The former second overall pick has a well-documented history of dealing with injuries. After finally working his way back to an NBA court in 2024-25, Ball's season was limited to 35 games due to his wrist.

Nance, similarly, struggled to stay on the floor in 2024-25. The returning Cavaliers center only appeared in 24 games with the Atlanta Hawks last season.

That was a shame, because when Nance was on the court, the production was strong. The veteran big man averaged 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 19.3 minutes per game. Nance shot 51.6 percent from the field, and 44.7 percent from 3-point on 3.2 attempts per game.

The good news is that the Cavaliers are certainly no strangers to adaptability. Injuries have been an inescapable fixture for Cleveland in the last couple of years.

While that is certainly not a good thing, the silver lining of those circumstances mean the Cavaliers should know by now how to properly execute a next man up mentality. That should pay dividends in the Cavaliers' pursuit of returning to the NBA Finals for the first time since LeBron James donned the uniform.