After winning 64 games last regular season, it is nearly impossible to define the Cleveland Cavaliers' downward spiral this year.
Instead of leading the Eastern Conference, the Cavs are dangling between the Play-In Tournament and risking lottery territory despite not holding onto their own first-round pick for the 2027 draft. The first 10 games of the season gave Cleveland a 7-3 record, but they have since fallen to 15-13 with multiple double-digit losses to below .500 teams.
The season's downfall came after a second-round exit in the Playoffs, losing in five games for the second time in two postseasons. Cleveland has attempted everything to improve the team to a cotender, but their identity is becoming their biggest hurdle.
When the Cavaliers could have entered the season hungry to prove themselves after the loss to the Indiana Pacers, they have instead stumbled out the gates and are struggling to find their footing as the season quickly approaches a mid-way point. The team's future is in flux as opposing front offices call about Darius Garland, but the Cavs still seem uninterested in change.
In the fourth season of the core four, that core of All-Star talents is suddenly looking the worst it ever has. The Cavaliers have defined themselves by cohesion and consistency since the inception of the core four, but as everything has changed around the core group, the results are the same.
The Cavaliers invested everything in the core's identity
Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen will combine for $152.2 million this season in payroll. Alone, the four Cavs stars almost reach the NBA's 2025-26 cap maximum of $154.6 million.
Next season, that same group inflates to a grand total of $170.36 million. The 2026-27 cap maximum is projected to reach $166 million. In less than one year, the Cavaliers' core four will cost more to keep together than the NBA allots for teams to pay their entire roster.
While much of the struggles that have led to a 15-13 record can be chalked up to injuries, the Cavs cannot afford avoid the painful truth. Despite investing everything into four players, the team is underperforming and underachieving to a shocking extent. Together, the core four has won 11 playoff games in three postseasons.
The cohesion the Cavs expected to lead to an NBA Finals run has become the exact reason they cannot afford to add the talent necessary to become a true contender. Cleveland's prized acquisition this summer, the return of Larry Nance, Jr., is spiraling into a complete miss. Lonzo Ball's production has been nothing the Cavs hoped to see.
Every offseason, rival franchises have expressed trade interest in the Cavs' stars, but the front office has repeatedly declined. Now, as the veteran minimum rentals fall apart and Cleveland's cap space position restricts any significant changes, their cohesive identity is destroying the team from the inside out.
Eventually, the decision to retain the cohesive core may not be the Cavaliers' choice anymore. Donovan Mitchell is entering the last guaranteed season of his contract in the 2026-27 season with a player option in the 2027 offseason. If Mitchell cannot see a positive future with Cleveland this summer, he can force the Cavs' hands and shift the team from a promising contender to a retooling squad without direction.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are experiencing the sum of their parts. Cleveland constructed an overpriced core while the rest of the league strategically positioned themselves to retain competitiveness and financial flexibility. The Cavs' dependence on cohesion and internal development has led to yearly disappointment and impending implosion.
Now, the only question left is how long the Cleveland Cavaliers hold on.