As the offseason slows down and speculation builds around how every team's additions, subtractions and changes will impact their next season, the Cleveland Cavaliers remain one of the top franchises across the board.
Losing Ty Jerome in free agency undoubtedly set the Cavs' bench offense back by a step or two. Though Jerome's game was imperfect and his defense was subpar, the veteran guard's confident scoring and contagious enthusiasm were necessary sparks for the Cavaliers all season. With Lonzo Ball and Larry Nance, Jr. in town, Cleveland is prioritizing overall versatility and defensive talent over Jerome's score-first mindset.
For the number Jerome signed with the Memphis Grizzlies, Cleveland could likely have re-signed the Sixth Man of the Year finalist. With the departure, news outlets and commentators have taken notice. The Cavs' standing in the Eastern Conference ahead of the season is a tight race with the New York Knicks, ranking each team's talent and depth fairly even. Overall, though, it is another team that rivals the Cavaliers' front office success.
In CBS Sports' July 2025 front office rankings, the Cavaliers sit fifth overall. The reigning champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, earn the top spot. With multiple All-Stars and the newest MVP on roster, it is easy to see how OKC claimed the best ranking. Four spots below, the Cavs' position brings them up from seventh overall since the February edition. The only east team ahead of Cleveland is last year's champions, the Boston Celtics.
CBS praised the Cavaliers for building a perennial contender over the past few years. Though Cleveland entered a dark rebuild in 2018, less than a decade later the franchise is a fearsome force in an Eastern Conference often headlined by big market teams and MVP-caliber superstars.
"The player acquisition speaks for itself. They were bold enough to trade for Donovan Mitchell with no reassurance he'd re-sign. They just bet that they'd be good enough to convince him to stay and they were right... They've discovered their share of diamonds in the rough lately like Ty Jerome and Sam Merrill. That's what gets Cleveland in the mix at the top of this list."Sam Quinn
The article's author, Sam Quinn, goes on to note that a key factor in the Cavaliers' successful roster construction comes from owner Dan Gilbert's willingness to spend and pay a heavy luxury tax. Quinn highlights that few franchises are open to spend heavily to win a championship, but the Cavs are undeterred even in the face of the new second apron penalties.
After a regular season highlighted by 64 wins and three All-Stars, the Cavaliers' ranking by CBS proves there's one final element to being recognized as the best of the best. Other franchises are ahead of the Cavs like the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs. If Cleveland hopes to leapfrog these teams, the path is obvious.
The Cavaliers are real contenders but need to break through
One thing has held the Cavaliers back since LeBron James' 2018 exit. Despite terrific regular seasons, All-Star appearances and most recently the crowning of the franchise's first-ever Defensive Player of the Year in Evan Mobley, Cleveland has yet to win even two games in the second round of the playoffs.
Postseason failure plummet a team's stock among other franchises who have not yet even faced the challenges of the playoffs or those who have overcome them. The Celtics and Thunder are clearly the best two front offices in the league; they won it all. Houston's addition of Kevin Durant without overpaying for the aging star vaulted them to the fourth spot. With Victor Wembanyama and a growing supporting cast, the unproven Spurs have just as much excitement as the Cavs.
The Cavaliers are paying big money for a chance at the Finals. That luxury tax bill will come due sooner than it seems, and this season needs to make that payment worth it. Cleveland is seen as an obvious contender in the east. Though the Celtics' front office ranks higher, the loss of Jayson Tatum this next season leaves the Cavs as the leading giant in the conference. It's time to prove it.
CBS and many other outlets recognize the Cavaliers' potential, but this Cleveland squad has yet to realize that potential themselves. The league thinks of the Cleveland Cavaliers as the best team out east with nothing to show for it. These rankings prove this is the season the Cavs must prove the last seven years building this team were well spent.