CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavs are going all-in for a championship this season, not next year or beyond. The James Harden trade wasn’t just a roster upgrade – it was a declaration that the time to win is now.

On the latest Wine and Gold Talk podcast, host Ethan Sands and cleveland.com columnist Jimmy Watkins broke down the urgency behind Cleveland’s aggressive moves and debated whether their revamped roster is truly capable of winning it all.

“They have made all these moves with a championship in mind this year, not next year, not in the years to come. That is all uncertain. This year, with James Harden, the Cavs feel like they have a chance to win the championship,” Sands emphasized, highlighting the win-now mentality driving Cleveland’s front office.

What makes this season so critical?

According to Watkins, it’s the rare vulnerability in the Eastern Conference. “I know we say it’s a two-year window with the Cavs and the Cavs will probably be a better team, a more prepared team to make a championship run with this current group next season. But the Cavs are in a unique position of urgency because the East is as gettable as it ever has, which is part of the many layered motivations for why they made this trade.”

With Jayson Tatum injured in Boston and Tyrese Haliburton still finding his way back in Indiana, there’s a power vacuum at the top of the conference that Cleveland is determined to fill. The additions of Harden, Dennis Schröder and Keon Ellis were about capitalizing on a fleeting opportunity.

But even if the Cavaliers manage to navigate the Eastern Conference gauntlet and reach the NBA Finals, a daunting challenge awaits. The Western Conference is loaded with powerhouse teams like the Nuggets, Thunder and Timberwolves – all of whom might be a class above what Cleveland can offer.

Sands didn’t shy away from this reality: “I think the trade for James Harden allows the Cavs to get out of the Eastern Conference. I do not think that they can win against a Western Conference opponent of that caliber that you mentioned, Jimmy, in a seven-game series.”

This creates a fascinating tension for the organization. They’ve pushed all their chips to the center of the table for a championship run now, but the cold math suggests they might still be one piece short of true title contention.

The Harden acquisition represents an acknowledgment of previous missteps as well.

As Watkins noted, “They were admitting that the De’Andre Hunter trade was a swing and a miss. They were admitting that the Lonzo Ball as missing piece theory that that didn’t work out.”

With Harden’s contract situation uncertain beyond this season, the Cavaliers face enormous pressure to maximize their potential immediately.

They’ve constructed a team with three legitimate stars – Donovan Mitchell, Harden, and Evan Mobley – and surrounded them with strategic role players like Schröder and Ellis.

But will it be enough? Can this hastily assembled super team gel quickly enough to not just win the East, but also challenge the Western Conference elite?

To hear the complete breakdown of Cleveland’s championship odds and the strategic challenges they face in both conferences, don’t miss the full episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast. Sands and Watkins dive deep into what makes this season so critical for the Cavs and whether their all-in approach will ultimately pay off with the franchise’s second NBA championship.

Here’s the podcast for this week: