With another painful end to the Cleveland Cavaliers' playoff run, the future of the roster could be in question.
In response to the loss, Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman addressed the media in person, answering a bevy of questions. Most questions circled around the same questions last year, asking how the Cavaliers fix their toughness issue. In both of their recent losses in the second round, they have been outworked and have looked weaker than their competition. Last year, it was reasonable to look worse than the league's best team. Against the Indiana Pacers, however, the Cavs have no excuse to have been mentally weak.
Cleveland had the ideal path to the NBA Finals this postseason and squandered it. Simply put, sweeping a ten-seeded Miami Heat should have given the Cavs the rest and confidence needed to take down a four-seeded Pacers. Instead, Max Strus was a no show from three-point range, Ty Jerome disappeared, Jarrett Allen grabbed six rebounds in the final two games and Isaac Okoro still had no offensive impact in the playoffs.
Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell were alone, trying to will the Cavs to victory. Darius Garland's toe injury sidelined him for four contests, and he was clearly hampered upon return. It marked the second postseason in a row that Garland could not handle the physicality. The Cavaliers have all the talent necessary to win these series, but the mental fortitude and willpower is missing.
Altman addressed that, holding the Cavs' feet to the fire. There was no response to Indiana's unreleting attack. On the Numbers of the Board podcast, co-host Pierre Adressen compared to the Cavs to a schoolyard bully who had never been in a fight. Once somebody stood up to that bully and didn't back down, Cleveland didn't know what to do. Unfortunately, Cleveland was indeed a fake bully.
The Cavaliers are getting expensive fast
Last offseason, the Cavaliers proved loyalty has not vanished from the NBA. All four of Cleveland's star core finished the summer with long-term, maximum contracts. Darius Garland, already under a max deal, was the only core player not to ink a new deal in the offseason. Additionally, the arrival of De'Andre Hunter added another multi-year contract on the Cavs' cap sheet.
Entering this summer, the Cavaliers will be one of the few franchises over the second apron threshold, joining the Phoenix Suns and Boston Celtics among select other teams. While the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers are not far behind, only three teams will enter the offseason period officially over the limit. This will heavily restrict the Cavs' options in free agency and trades. Cleveland will be stripped of any exceptions to offer new free agents anything above the league minimum. The Cavs also cannot aggregate salaries in trade or take back more money than they send out.
With the Hunter trade, the Cavaliers dipped below the luxury tax during the 2024-25 season, but that relief was temporary. Cleveland leaped from a non-tax team to the second apron by signing those maximum extensions. Starting in the 2026 offseason, Allen will be owed $28 million and rising. Mobley's deal added roughly $45 million over the course of the contract by winning Defensive Player of the Year. Garland and Mitchell are both exceedingly expensive.
Alongside the questions of mental toughness, Altman fielded numerous questions targeted at this issue. His answer, while staying committed to the core, subtley hinted at changes coming to avoid these harsh penalties.
Cleveland may be looking for salary dump trades
When asked if the Cavaliers are willing to be a second apron team, Altman did not hesitate to say yes, if they believed it was worth the cost. Numerous times, Altman discussed the second apron but consistently used the operative word if when looking at the financial situation this summer.
At the beginning of the conference, Altman discussed Mobley's continued rise at a young age and the implications of the tax aprons. With the financial and cultural support of owner Dan Gilbert, Altman did not seem overly concerned with the implications of the second apron. He noted that the Cavs already have their top talent under contract and are not at risk of losing anybody. He did, however, also acknolwedge that teams that underperform need to dip below that second apron to retool.
Well, the Cavaliers underperformed.
Also, Altman did not seem convinced the Cavaliers would be a second apron team. He spoke of that apron as a possibility, but even with the Cavs currently well above that threshold, Altman was not committed to it.
"If we are a second apron team, we still know we have internal growth to get better. So, if we land there, we know we have the sustainability to retain our top talent."Koby Altman
Currently, the Cavaliers have already landed there. With just 10 players on the books right now, the Cavs are over that number. There is a heavy financial burden already placed on this roster, but Altman may be willing to explore options to move below that apron without losing the core.
This does not mean the Cavaliers are going to blow up the roster and move on from Mobley. While some lunacy has floated through the internet suggesting a nonsensical deal of Mobley in exchange for Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Cavs are more likely to seek changes around the margins and on the bench.
Throughout the presser, Altman was confident in the team's intentions to retain the core four. If Cleveland does want to move underneath the apron, it would still cost a lot of talent, especially on the bench. The Cavaliers would need to make significant salary dumps, and with so few NBA teams with salary cap to use, it would take multiple moves to achieve the salary flexibility afforded to teams below the second apron.
Without moving a core player, exiting the second apron would force the Cavaliers to part with some combination of Okoro, Strus, Hunter and Dean Wade. It would also severely limit the chances to bring back Sam Merrill and Ty Jerome. Both players will be seeking a pay raise in free agency, a cost the Cavs cannot pay if they hope to shed salary. Cleveland's trade landscape is not dead if they do not offer a star player, but it would leave the opportunity to trade away depth for financial ease.
It is important to note that Altman did not say the Cavs are going to shed salary. In fact, he said Gilbert did not give him any explicit restrictions. What is noteworthy, though, is Altman's unwillingness to commit to the second apron. Right now, it is not an "if" question. It is a reality for the Cavs.
Whether or not Altman's words suggest salary dumping or were nothing more than words is yet to be realized. The playoffs are still ongoing, and the Cleveland Cavaliers will almost certainly not enter next season looking much different. For die hard fans, there is no reasn to expect a tear down or overhaul incoming. If anything happens, the Cavs will seek to retool their depth and maintain some future flexibility.