The Cleveland Cavaliers breached the 60-win mark for the third time in franchise history last season.
In fact, the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ 64-18 finish was the second-best record in franchise history. Evidently, the Cavs did many things right to achieve that milestone.
The biggest decision was hiring Kenny Atkinson as the head coach. Atkinson won the NBA’s Coach of the Year in his first season with the Cavaliers.
Keeping that in mind, there aren’t many changes required for the Cavs to contend during the 2025-26 season.
Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty ImagesBiggest changes to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ roster
The Cavaliers are currently led by Donovan Mitchell. In support, he has the likes of Darius Garland and Evan Mobley on the roster.
While the Cavs’ starting lineup for the 2025-26 season is pretty much set, they bolstered their second unit this summer.
For starters, the Cavaliers traded for Lonzo Ball, who is looking to make a comeback next season. With that said, here are all the additions that the team has made ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Lonzo Ball (Traded from Chicago Bulls)Larry Nance Jr. (Signed as a free agent)Sam Merrill (Re-signed on a four-year deal)
As mentioned earlier, the Cavs barely made any changes to their roster. Now, it’s upon coach Atkinson to ensure that his players do not disappear like the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Biggest departures from the Cleveland Cavaliers’ roster
Even with a core of players that won 64 games in the regular season, it’s only natural for a few players to depart come the offseason.
After all, it’s impossible to keep every player happy on any NBA team. Keeping that in mind, here are all the players who left the Cavaliers this summer.
Ty Jerome (Left as a free agent)Isaac Okoro (Traded to Chicago Bulls)
With the Eastern Conference wide open next season, the Cavaliers should manage to secure a top-three seed next season.
However, the only thing the Cavs need to ensure is not losing focus during the postseason as they look to get past the second round.