CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavs aren’t just hoping for a deep playoff run this season – they’re expecting it. And if they fall short? The consequences could be seismic.
In a revealing episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, Chris Fedor and Ethan Sands pull back the curtain on the Cavs’ mentality, highlighted by the team’s extraordinary offseason commitment and the blunt reality of what failure would mean.
When Max Strus told reporters that “championship is still on the horizon for us,” it wasn’t just standard preseason optimism. As Fedor explains, Strus’s words carry unique weight given his background.
“It hits differently when it comes from Max,” Fedor says. “Max Strus has played in the NBA Finals. Max Strus knows what a championship level team looks like. He knows what a championship level team feels like. He knows the habits of a championship level team.”
The podcast reveals a startling level of commitment from the roster, with nearly the entire team participating in voluntary workouts in Los Angeles this offseason.
“A source told me that all but three members of the Cavs roster were out in Los Angeles for what was a voluntary player le workout,” Fedor shares, adding that one player’s absence “did draw some eye rolls from people that I talked to.”
This extraordinary commitment level speaks to the mounting pressure facing a team that has invested heavily – financially and emotionally – in championship aspirations.
“If things don’t go well for this team again this year, if they don’t get out of the second round, changes are coming,” Fedor warns. “If it is another second-round exit, change is coming to this organization. It’s not going to be a coach that goes this time ... change will come in the form of personnel.”
The stakes couldn’t be higher for Cleveland’s front office, which has pushed all-in financially, diving deep into luxury tax territory to build around its core.
For owner Dan Gilbert, who’s footing an enormous bill, patience has its limits.
“If you pay the kind of bill that Dan Gilbert’s going to pay, if you’re going to have these high-priced guys, it cannot be another second-round exit,” Fedor explains.
The podcast paints a picture of a franchise that has graduated from the rebuilding phase to championship expectations – a transition that brings both opportunity and immense pressure.
“Forget the ping pong balls, forget the lottery picks, forget all that kind of stuff. This is the space where we want to live, where people are expecting greatness from us,” Fedor says, paraphrasing Koby Altman’s end-of-season comments.
While championship aspirations are common across the NBA, the podcast provides unique insight into why the Cavaliers’ situation is particularly urgent. Many players face pivotal career moments, with significant financial implications tied to this season’s performance.
Sands highlights this individual pressure: “The players understand what’s coming, but also understanding how delicate their situations are individually ... some players only get one opportunity for a big cash out, and this is that.”
The podcast reveals a team that’s all-in not just financially, but emotionally and professionally.
With Eastern Conference uncertainty, three All-Stars, and two All-NBA team members, the pathway exists for a deep run – if the Cavs can handle the pressure that comes with championship expectations.
For Cavaliers fans, the Wine and Gold Talk podcast delivers an unfiltered look at the high-stakes reality facing their team – where championship aspirations aren’t just hopes, but expectations, and where falling short could trigger the dismantling of what they’ve spent years building.
As Strus himself declared in the podcast: “Getting the guys back together and doing what we do best and putting our best foot forward and making it further than we did last year and championship is still on the horizon for us and that’s where we all have our mindset.”
For the 2025-26 Cavaliers, that horizon has never been closer – or more crucial to reach.
Here’s the podcast for this week:
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