The chips are in. Basketball season has begun, and the Cleveland Cavaliers remain in the second apron. As long as they remain there, they will not be allowed to use cash in trades, deal picks that are seven years out, aggregate contracts in trades, and a whole host of other penalties.
This is a pretty big deal. Whether it's a shrewd decision by the front office boils down to one thing: winning. If the Cavs win the NBA Finals this year, then suddenly no one will care about a mid-level exception or a 2032 draft pick. If the Cavs fall short again, then the restrictions that come with being in the second apron suddenly feel weightier and big changes would almost surely be coming. So... win!
No other NBA team is in the second apron to start the year. Last season, the Celtics, Timberwolves and Suns were over the second apron but each has escaped its clutches to start 2025-26. And, if you recall, none of them won the NBA title. Do with that information what you will.
Cavs believe in their roster, but now the pressure is on
If you're wondering why the Cavs would do this — or why any team would do this — the best explanation is they really, really believe in the team's current roster and don't want to break that up. And there's good reason for Dan Gilbert and Mike Gansey to believe in this roster; the team won 64 games last season, has an established All-Star, a guy who will make tons of All-Star teams and two perennial borderline All-Stars.
But again, being willing to spend a season over the second apron is a sign that a team should, at least, make the conference finals, which this group has never done. And that leads to another question; would a better postseason be enough of an improvement to stay in apron territory next season? Making it to the Eastern Conference Finals and losing in 7 games would feel like a win while it's happening... but then the Cavs would still have to enter next offseason with major restrictions hanging over them. I'm not a believer in the "championship or bust" mindset, but these Cavs are getting dangerously close to those stakes.
For now, those questions all remain hypothetical. What isn't hypothetical is that the Cavs are spending more than any other team in the league, and the consequences for doing that are going to be strict whether the Cavs win the whole thing or miss the playoffs completely.
So now the pressure is really on to do the first one.