For years, the Cleveland Cavaliers have knocked on the door of the NBA Finals, but to no avail. The Cavaliers are fully committed to Donovan Mitchell, and they even moved on from Darius Garland to make that extremely clear.
The Cavs reached the Eastern Conference Finals in the first year of the James Harden era, though, to be fair, they caught multiple injury breaks along the way before facing the eventual NBA champions. It's a new season, and everyone's healthy now.
That's why, now that they've given James Harden another multi-year deal, it feels like the clock is ticking on this core. If anything, they may only have two seasons to figure things out before they have to blow up the roster.
The Cleveland Cavaliers' championship window will get smaller by the day
The Cavaliers have their core guys locked for the next three seasons. Harden, Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Peyton Watson will all be there, and they just picked up Jaylon Tyson's fourth-year option for the 2027-28 season.
That said, when was the last time that trusting James Harden led a team to an NBA championship? He's not the offensive behemoth he was in his heyday, and his glaring defensive limitations, playoff meltdowns, and age are massive concerns.
Of course, the Cavaliers have Watson now, and he's a potential two-way star with high upside. Other pieces like Meleek Thomas, Mario Hezonja, and the aforementioned Tyson should also elevate this team's ceiling.
But after watching Harden be a liability again in the playoffs last season, it feels like this team would win in spite of him, not because of him. He can lead them to the playoffs, but they must keep him off the floor in crucial moments once they get there.
It's crazy to see that a player who has been there and done that, who has played in so many playoff games, and who is a sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer can still struggle so much at that stage. It's baffling for someone who's even played in the NBA Finals.
As for Mitchell, he's one of the most underrated players in the game. He's a born leader, and he's had some huge moments in the playoffs. Unfortunately, he's also too nice at times, and this team has to show some teeth—they must prove they won't be pushed around.
The new-look Cavaliers have everything they need to go the distance, and parity in recent years shows that anything can happen in today's NBA. But if they don't figure things out quickly, this front office will have no choice but to pull the plug.
Add us as a preferred source on Google