Ever since the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired Donovan Mitchell in 2022, they have been in win-now mode. Every move that they have made since that point has been to become a top contender in the Eastern Conference.
It led to the Cavs being the NBA’s only team in the second apron last season and now their first round pick in 2033 is frozen. In the last couple seasons, the second apron has been a death sentence for teams, as it severely restricts a team’s ability to upgrade their roster.
However, Cleveland was able to navigate it fairly well, and were able to maneuver their way out of the second apron this summer. It led to them acquiring Peyton Watson from Denver to fortify their wing rotation. Even though that is yet another win-now move, the Cavs’ priorities still remain very clear.
Cleveland is still prioritizing youth in their roster building
Usually when teams head into a win-now space, they prioritize acquiring veteran talent and it leads to an aging roster most of the time. That is not the case with the Cavs.
While James Harden is 37 years old, Donovan Mitchell is turning 30 in a couple of weeks, and Sam Merrill already 30, Cleveland’s roster is very young. Everyone else on their projected opening night roster is not older than 28 years old. Obviously Evan Mobley is the face of the team’s young core at 25 years old, but he isn’t the only player that is young with upside, including the team’s latest addition.
Instead of going for a veteran wing, the Cavs decided to bet on the upside of the 23-year old Watson, who had a great year last season. All of the reserve guys like Jaylon Tyson, Tyrese Proctor, Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Craig Porter Jr., and Meleek Thomas, all of whom will have the chance to contribute this season, are all 26 years old or younger.
In the case of Thomas, the Cavs had the chance to take an older, more proven college player in the second round, with UNC big man Henri Veesaar being the rumored top target. They instead took the 20-year old guard, who showed flashes of his immense potential during summer league.
The point is that Cleveland has been betting on youth and upside even in a win-now space, which is hard to do. When you have a head coach like Kenny Atkinson though, who has a strong background in player development, it helps both the present and the long-term outlook as well.
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