Another major injury is already forcing many to consider the possibility of what happens to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the event of the promised championship contender not showing up in the 2025-26 NBA season. Falling short of expectations will undoubtedly force roster moves quickly.
That is what ESPN thought would be the case when it came to the recent summer forecast put together by their group of NBA insiders. The goal of that experiment was to answer some of the most pressing questions with the new campaign rapidly approaching.
One of the topics that was up for discussion was which teams would be most likely to make a big move before the trade deadline. Despite the constraints of the second apron, the Cavaliers ranked prominently on that list, coming in tied for third place with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Anthony Slater wrote, "For the Cavaliers' situation, disappointment and desperation can breed movement. If they fear their high-value core four won't get it done in the playoffs again, they may decide to flip one and change up the mix."
Cavaliers' changes will be inescapable if expectations are not met
This is nothing new for the Cavaliers. As much excitement and optimism as there is with what this group can do in 2025-26, there is an equal assertion of it being put up or shut up time for the core four. Everyone in Cleveland knows it.
One can probably assume an Evan Mobley or a Donovan Mitchell would be safe from any potential rewriting of the winning formula for the Cavaliers. However, nothing says that would be the same case for Darius Garland. That goes double for Jarrett Allen.
Chris Fedor had highlighted earlier in the offseason there is belief within the Cavaliers organization that they have learned what they needed to from playoff failures as recent as last season's disappointment in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. This is where it gets tricky.
The answer to how true that is will not be answered in the 2025-26 regular season. However, Koby Altman and the front office will be forced to revisit the overall estimate of how much truth there is to that before February all the same.
The Cavaliers are leaving the 15th spot on their roster open for good reason. Part of that is lessening the already large salary tax bill that will need to be paid. However, the ability to maneuver a two-for-one deal, if circumstances call for it, is just as important in the equation of that decision.