The Cleveland Cavaliers are still working to understand what led to their disappointing five-game defeat against the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The early exit cut short what had been a remarkable season for the team, which is still chasing its first Conference Finals appearance since the LeBron James era.
The loss to the Pacers opened up unexpected questions about whether the Cavs would look to make any big moves this offseason, and recently, Cavs insider Chris Fedor took to the Wine and Gold podcast to shed some light on Cleveland’s mindset.
I think the two untouchables are Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley,” Fedor said, per Cleveland.com. “I have been getting the sense that the Cavs would be more willing to entertain and at least consider possibilities for Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland than they have in the past.”
Both Garland and Allen underperformed in the Cavs’ playoff loss to the Pacers, although it should be noted that Garland was clearly not operating at 100%, having rushed back from a toe injury that caused him to miss two games in the previous round as well as the first two games of the Pacers series.
A big offseason for the Cavs.
The Cavaliers probably didn’t anticipate this offseason being so pivotal to the franchise’s future after a strong regular season, but that’s exactly where they are now—watching the Eastern Conference Finals from the sidelines.
As Fedor noted, it’s very unlikely the team would consider moving either Donovan Mitchell or Evan Mobley, both of whom had standout seasons. Still, it’s fair to question whether the overlap between Mitchell and Darius Garland or between Mobley and Jarrett Allen might prompt the Cavs to explore trades that improve their depth at the wing—a clear area of need.
Either way, the team faces some major decisions in the coming months.
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