The Cleveland Cavaliers had one of their best seasons in franchise history, but were not able to show for it in the postseason after losing to the Indiana Pacers in the second round. After being healthy for most – if not all – the regular season, injuries crept up on them late in the first round and early into their matchup against the Pacers. Now, the goal should be that they keep their core group together while filling out the depth surrounding them.
There is also a world where the Cavs could decide to shake things up and make some major changes to their roster. If the Cavs think that they can get better and the Pacers made them see their flaws, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton came up with a trade scenario where the Dallas Mavericks get Donovan Mitchell, the Los Angeles Lakers get Jarrett Allen, and Cleveland gets the No.1 pick.
In this scenario, the Cavs could possibly have a big three of Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and possibly Cooper Flag, if they select him with the No. 1 pick.
“Cleveland builds a new trio of stars with Flagg, Mobley and Darius Garland, none of them older than age 25,” Pelton wrote. “For now, the Cavaliers should be able to remain competitive in the East thanks to depth and defense. A frontcourt of Flagg, Mobley and either Gafford or Washington would be one of the NBA’s best on defense, while sliding Max Strus to guard would give Cleveland more size in the backcourt.”
Could the Cavs break up their core?
There is no chance that the Cavs shake up their roster that much, especially with what they were able to do this season. If they were fully healthy, things may have looked different for them, but it looks like they have something special with the core that they have now.
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Their bench also seems solid, with players such as De’Andre Hunter and Ty Jerome having the best seasons of their careers. If anything, the Cavs would just need to add a piece or two to their rotation, but it also wouldn’t be a bad thing if they just ran it back with the same team.
The Eastern Conference could be up for grabs once again next season as the Boston Celtics will look different, and depending on what happens with Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks could look different as well. The Pacers showed that anything is possible, and the Cavs could find themselves in the driver’s seat once again.