The Cleveland Cavaliers are poised for major team success in the 2025-26 NBA season. Team success is rarely exclusive from individual success. There are a lot of players on the Cavaliers roster who should be primed for major NBA awards in the upcoming campaign.
So, let's run the gauntlet. Today, every major individual award is up for grabs and the challenge is to find a member of the Cavaliers who can claim each and every one of them.
A clean sweep of these honors will naturally be next to impossible during the 2025-26 season. However, the idea is to identify the Cavaliers players who are best positioned to take these trophies home.
Defensive Player of the Year: Evan Mobley
Let's get the extremely obvious one out of the way. Evan Mobley just won a Defensive Player of the Year in 2024-25. The Cavaliers star will have ample opportunity to swipe another one.
A big part of the conversation last season was the injury to Victor Wembanyama removing him from the race. If the San Antonio Spurs center fails to hit that 65-game mark once more, Mobley will undoubtedly be the favorite.
Even if Wembanyama is completely healthy, the Cavaliers big man should have every opportunity to give him a run for his money. Mobley is one of the most complete defenders in the NBA. If Cleveland has a top unit in 2025-26, the 24-year-old should get his flowers.
Coach of the Year: Kenny Atkinson
This one has to go by default to Kenny Atkinson. However, there is some disappointing news to deliver when it comes to the chances of the Cavaliers coach winning it again in 2025-26 after taking home the award last season.
No head coach in NBA history has ever won the Coach of the Year award in back-to-back campaigns. It would be difficult to envision Atkinson being the first without a truly historic season.
The bar has been set very high after a 64-win campaign in 2024-25. Atkinson would need to be pushing 70 wins, despite missing Darius Garland and Max Strus for significant chunks to start the year due to injury. It's not impossible, but it is quite improbable.
Rookie of the Year: Tyrese Proctor
Similar to Atkinson, this one is technically within reach, but a tough sell nonetheless. There is a window of opportunity in which Tyrese Proctor does exceed expectations enough to insert himself into the Rookie of the Year conversation.
Garland is known to be missing time to start the new year. Lonzo Ball is an injury risk. Craig Porter Jr. is unproven. There is enough of a brewing storm for Proctor to seize minutes off the bench and carve out a strong role in the best-case scenario for the former Duke guard.
Admittedly, Proctor would need to really defy the odds by a very healthy stretch of the imagination. Sharing a rookie class with the likes of Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, and others will give him an uphill battle.
Clutch Player of the Year: Darius Garland
By the NBA's definition of what clutch stats are, Garland was undoubtedly the best player on the Cavaliers in that department last season. The only teammate that came close was Donovan Mitchell, but the efficiency favors the Cavaliers point guard by a fair bit.
Garland averaged 3.0 points, 0.6 assists, and 0.1 turnovers, while shooting 53.4 percent from the field and 45.0 percent from beyond the arc. Mitchell posted 2.8 points, 0.3 assists, and 0.3 turnovers. However, the Cavaliers All-Star shot only 36.7 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from 3-point.
This is Garland's award to lose. That is especially true if the offense continues to shift more towards having the dynamic point guard as the lead decision-maker.
Sixth Man of the Year: De'Andre Hunter
De'Andre Hunter has been in contention for this award in the past. While some may want to see him elevated to the starting lineup after Strus' injury, conventional wisdom would still suggest Hunter is at his best when leading the second unit.
The Cavaliers forward will get a full training camp to properly acclimate to his new team after the midseason trade in 2024-25. The results of that will be highly anticipated by all in Cleveland.
Most Improved Player: Jaylon Tyson
Circumstances are lining up quite nicely for a big second-year leap from Jaylon Tyson. The former first-round pick will enjoy elevated responsibility from the start of the 2025-26 season.
"Atkinson likes Tyson. He believes in him. At some point, Atkinson would like to see Tyson alongside the Core Four — Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen," Chris Fedor wrote of the Cavaliers sophomore.
Getting the extra run with Cleveland's main acts should bode well for a strong uptick in production. Tyson's arrival to consistent relevancy would go a long way to both seizing the award and allowing the Cavaliers to navigate their injury concerns.
Most Valuable Player: Evan Mobley
This is the controversial pick. Mitchell enters the 2025-26 season with the mantle of best player on the team. However, if the Cavaliers are in a strong enough position for one of their stars to push for an NBA MVP, that would probably mean Mobley finally arriving as a bona fide superstar.
In all fairness to both, the MVP trophy will be tough for either to win. Luka Doncic has the narrative. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has the recent history. Nikola Jokic is literally always in contention. Giannis Antetokounmpo has the gargantuan task of elevating the Milwaukee Bucks beyond their station.
It will be hard for Mitchell or Mobley to break through among that group. If one of them does manage that feat, the bet here will be the rising star, rather than the more established one.