Ahead of the coming 2025-26 NBA campaign, the Cleveland Cavaliers look primed to be in the mix for the 2026 NBA title. They largely have the same roster intact that won 64 games a season ago and was the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
While rotation pieces Ty Jerome and Isaac Okoro are gone, veterans Lonzo Ball and Larry Nance Jr. are in, and Cleveland still has the makings of a championship contender.
But just because the Cavaliers look like championship contenders on paper doesn’t mean the coming season will be smooth sailing for the team. There are several possibilities that could cause trouble for the Cavaliers in the 2025-26 season, and let’s take a look at three of them in particular.
1. Eastern Conference ends up being better than expected
At this juncture, the Eastern Conference doesn’t project to be all that formidable in the coming season. After all, the reigning Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers will be without guard Tyrese Haliburton for the entirety of the campaign as he recuperates from an Achilles injury, and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum is expected to miss a good chunk of time with an Achilles injury as well.
But there’s a chance that the East will be better than anticipated. It’s possible that some new teams will rise to the top, as the Atlanta Hawksand Orlando Magic are both majorly improved on paper compared to a season ago.
The Hawks added big man Kristaps Porzingis and guards Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard. Plus, the Magic made a move for guard Desmond Bane, who averaged 19.2 points per game on 39.2 percent shooting from 3-point range with the Memphis Grizzlies last season. They also added guard Tyus Jones. Atlanta and Orlando had to lose some players along the way this summer but are hoping the moves will pay off.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Pistons were a playoff team a season ago and should only improve as they get older. You’ve also got the Milwaukee Bucks, who will have a new look this season after moving on from guard Damian Lillard and adding big man Myles Turner. The Philadelphia 76ers remain talented. And perhaps the biggest threat to the Cavs in the East is the New York Knicks, who just made the conference finals.
There’s also the possibility that Tatum makes a return to the lineup for Boston in time for a playoff run and makes the Celtics dark-horse contenders in the East. The Celtics have made numerous deep playoff runs with Tatum and co-star Jaylen Brown leading the way, and it would be unwise to count Boston out in such a scenario.
2. Evan Mobley has lateral season
Mobley showed off meteoric growth in the 2024-25 campaign, his fourth season in the NBA. He enjoyed easily the best scoring campaign of his pro career to this point, as he averaged a career-high 18.5 points per game and displayed a reliable 3-point shot. Mobley shot 37.0 percent from deep on 3.2 attempts per contest.
He was also as impactful as ever on the defensive end, as he earned a spot on the All-Defensive First Team and won the Defensive Player of the Year award.
However, if the 24-year-old fails to show more signs of growth in the coming 2025-26 season, that could be a blow to the team’s championship hopes.
There has been a lot of talk about how he needs to be the reason that the Cavaliers get over the hump in the playoffs. Hence, if he doesn’t take another step forward in his development, maybe it’s wishful thinking to believe that 2026 will be the Cavaliers’ year.
3. Darius Garland struggles to find footing after returning from injury
In June, Garland underwent surgery on his left big toe after an injury in that part of his body bothered him in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. As he recovers, he could miss the beginning of the regular season.
It’s possible that Garland will struggle to find a rhythm once he re-enters the lineup after recuperating from his injury. A similar story played out in the 2023-24 season, when he was seemingly always having to battle back from something and had a down year as a result.
He averaged 18.0 points per game (a mark below his career average) in the 2023-24 season and shot 44.6 percent from the field, the second-lowest percentage of his pro career. He played even worse when the 2024 NBA Playoffs rolled around, as he averaged just 15.7 points per game on subpar efficiency.
Hopefully, Garland won’t be visibly hampered by his injury once he makes his return, but the possibility can’t be entirely ruled out. It goes without saying that he’s an important piece of the puzzle for Cleveland.
