Remember all of the talk over the offseason about how it'd be the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Knicks at the top of the Eastern Conference? Well, New York is up there, sitting No. 2, but Cleveland isn't. If the season ended today, the Cavaliers would be in the play-in tournament. It's certainly not the position they wanted to be in, resulting in rising trade speculation.
On Sunday, NBA insider Marc Stein said trade inquiries for Donovan Mitchell or Evan Mobley would be "immediately swatted away" by Cleveland. However, he wondered how "safe" Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen are (subscription required). Stein referenced Chris Fedor's report that Dan Gilbert is "very unhappy" with how things are going for the Cavaliers.
Cleveland traded for Mitchell three years ago with the hope of winning its first title since LeBron James left for a second time. In the first three seasons after the trade, the Cavaliers were a top-four team in the East, even finishing at the top of the conference standings in 2024-25. All they have to show for it, though, is one first-round exit and two second-round exits.
With Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton suffering Achilles injuries in the 2025 playoffs, it seemed like Cleveland could finally make the deep playoff run it desired. While technically that could still happen, the Cavaliers don't look like a team that will even make it past the first round, if they get that far.
Trade speculation is swirling around the Cavaliers
Cleveland isn't in a position to easily make a trade as a team that is $22 million over the second tax apron. The two most notable trade restrictions of being a second apron team are that the front office can't receive more money than it sends out in a trade, and it can't aggregate players in a deal.
There is added pressure on the Cavaliers for being the only second-place team in the league, putting the team in an interesting position with the Feb. 5 deadline looming. Mitchell shouldn't be going anywhere, and as ESPN's Shams Charania said last week, the front office doesn't want to lose Mobley, either. That means that Cleveland could part with their core by trading Garland and/or Allen.
That stance could change over the next several weeks, depending on how the Cavaliers fare. They've lost four of their last five, including two losses to the Bulls, and even one to the Hornets. Gilbert understandably isn't happy, as he's the one footing the bill, so he could be the deciding factor in moving on from a couple of the team's core players before we even reach the offseason.