Cavaliers’ franchise-altering disappointment may be the beginning of the end

After beginning the season 7-3 in the first games, the Cleveland Cavaliers are spiraling and now sit 15-13 with the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Last season, the Cavs met their 13th defeat in the regular season in March, finishing the 2024-25 regular season with the conference-best 64-18 record. Now, just nine months later, Cleveland's future is bordering on disaster.

The Cavaliers are still battling injuries and have yet to play a game with good relative health across the depth chart. Still, even with the majority of the roster available, the Cavs have fallen short against lesser opponents and are suffering their second three-game losing streak of the young season.

Shooting 33.8 percent from three-point range, Cleveland ranks 28th among the NBA in three-point percentage despite shooting the second-most long-range attempts per game. The Cavs have been embarrassed this season, and their humiliation may not be close to finished.

Entering this season, the Cavs were expected to compete for a top spot in the East and build toward a deep postseason run. Instead, the core four's future is in question as other contenders continue to improve and the Cavs could see ultimate embarrassment if their number-one star forces their hand.

Donovan Mitchell could end the Cavalers' core four era

Next season will be Donovan Mitchell's final guaranteed season with the Cavaliers as he holds a player option for the 2027-28 season. If the Cavaliers continue to look so noncompetitive, the All-NBA guard could demand an exit from Cleveland to maximize his prime years.

While Mitchell has never openly suggested he would want to leave the Cavaliers, he has been adamant about chasing the NBA Finals. In his fourth season with Cleveland, Mitchell is averaging a career-high 30.7 points and shooting 38.3 percent from deep. He has been the only member of the wine and gold to offer consistent, high-level production.

Mitchell's fellow All-NBA Cavalier, Evan Mobley, is stumbling to begin the year with poor efficiency and underwhelming offensive aggression. Darius Garland, still recovering from a toe surgery during the offseason, is still noticeably unhealthy.

Without his co-stars contributing like the team needs, Mitchell could finally begin to consider a different future. In Cleveland's latest 127-111 defeat to the Chicago Bulls, Mitchell showed visible frustration from the bench.

Mitchell not only looks frustrated, but he looks defeated beyond just one game. To his right, Garland is exhausted and distant. The Cavaliers are falling apart in front of the league's eyes, and their chemistry is dissipating with every loss.

If Cleveland's leading star guard is ready to move on, he holds his future in his hands this summer as a pseudo-expiring contract. The Cavaliers could not afford to call Mitchell's bluff after mortgaging control over their draft picks until 2030 to acquire him back in 2022.

Destiny is suddenly out of the Cleveland Cavaliers' hands as they sit in the middle of a mess they created. Rival teams are circling the Cavs as the unofficial trade season begins, recognizing Garland as a potential trade piece. If Cleveland begins to recognize Mitchell's loyalty is fading, the front office needs to approach the offseason with careful consideration to prepare for either potential decision Mitchell could make this summer.