Record0-02026-27
Last 10—
Net rating+4.12025-26 · ORtg 118.3 · DRtg 114.1
Pace100.7eFG% 56.1 · TS% 59.5
Injuries00 out · 0 questionable
Rumors0tagged in the last feeds
Podcast
All episodes · RSSCavaliers Tip-Off · every morning · Jordan Reyes & Marcus Hale
First episode with the preseason
Your team, every morning: last night, tonight, what changed. 8–12 minutes, and Cavaliers Final within half an hour of every buzzer. Subscribe to the feed and the first one arrives on its own.
The hosts
Jordan Reyes · host
Runs the show. Grew up on League Pass and box scores. Believes in the team until the numbers say otherwise, then argues with Marcus.
Marcus Hale · analyst
The numbers desk. Lineups, on/off, cap sheets. Dry, precise, allergic to hype. Keeps the receipts every Friday.
Salary cap · 2026-27
Full cap sheet$219.3M$54.3M over the $165.0M cap · 15 contracts
Mobley
Mitchell
Harden
Allen
Watson
Evan Mobley $50.1M · Donovan Mitchell $50.1M · James Harden $42.3M · Jarrett Allen $28.0M
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All Cavaliers video😱 The denial & the dunk! #LetEmKnow #Cavs #JarrettAllen #NBA #Shorts
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Cavs Enter 2026-27 Off a 52-Win Season With Core Intact, Bench Reshuffled
newsroom · 3 h agoCleveland heads into the 2026-27 season at 0-0, coming off a 52-30 campaign in 2025-26. The core of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and James Harden returns, while Dennis Schröder, Max Strus, Dean Wade, Keon Ellis and Larry Nance Jr. are gone. The opener is set for October 22 at Philadelphia on ESPN.
The Season Hasn't Started Yet
Cleveland sits at 0-0 with no seed yet assigned, so there's nothing to report from the standings. The Cavs open the preseason at home against Boston on October 8, host Orlando on October 11, then travel to Orlando on October 13. The regular-season opener is October 22 at Philadelphia, airing on ESPN. From there Cleveland hosts Brooklyn on October 24. The full regular season runs 80 games, with 20 of them on national TV. Until tip-off, the story is about who's still here, who left, and what last season's numbers say about this group heading into a new year at Rocket Arena.
Who's Back, Who's Gone
The roster keeps its top four from a year ago: Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and James Harden are all back, along with Peyton Watson, Jaylon Tyson, Sam Merrill, Craig Porter Jr., Thomas Bryant, Mario Hezonja and Nae'Qwan Tomlin. Five players who were part of last season's team are gone: Dennis Schröder now plays for the Hornets, Max Strus for the Clippers, Dean Wade for the 76ers, Keon Ellis for the Nets, and Larry Nance Jr. for the Pacers. The roster also adds rookies Ernest Udeh Jr., Khalifa Diop, Meleek Thomas and Tyrese Proctor, plus first-year wing Tristan Enaruna, giving Cleveland more young depth to sort through in camp.
Last Season by the Numbers
Cleveland finished 2025-26 at 52-30. The offense ranked well by its own numbers, posting a 118.3 offensive rating against a 114.1 defensive rating, a net rating of plus-4.1. The Cavs played at a 100.7 pace and shot an effective field-goal percentage of 56.1 with a true shooting mark of 59.5. They averaged 119.5 points per game. Those numbers describe a team that scored efficiently and shared the ball, and they're the baseline this group carries into training camp as it tries to build on a 52-win season with largely the same top of the roster.
The Names to Watch
James Harden led the way last season at 23.6 points, 8.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds a game, shooting 37.5 percent from three across 70 games. Donovan Mitchell scored 27.9 points a night with 5.7 assists, also in 70 games. Evan Mobley put up 18.2 points and 9.0 rebounds, and Jarrett Allen added 15.4 points and 8.5 boards. Peyton Watson broke out with 14.6 points and a 41.1 three-point percentage, and Jaylon Tyson chipped in 13.2 points while shooting 44.6 percent from deep. Sam Merrill scored 12.8 points a game. All of that production returns intact for 2026-27.
Lineups That Worked
Cleveland's most-used five-man groups last season leaned heavily on Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley as constants. The Mitchell-Allen-Wade-Merrill-Tyson lineup posted a plus-42.8 net rating over four games, the best mark among the top groups, though in limited minutes. A Mitchell-Allen-Wade-Mobley-Tyson unit played 80 minutes across seven games with a net rating of plus-15.4. The Harden-Mitchell-Wade-Merrill-Mobley combination was steady at plus-3.1 over six games and 64 minutes. Dean Wade appeared in several of these top lineups but is now with the 76ers, so Cleveland will need to find new combinations around Mitchell and Mobley entering the new season.
No Injury Concerns to Start
There are no injuries listed for the Cavs heading into camp, and the roster is set with 17 players spanning veterans and rookies. With the core of Mitchell, Mobley, Allen, Harden, Watson, Tyson and Merrill all healthy on paper, Cleveland's preseason schedule against Boston and Orlando gives new additions like Ernest Udeh Jr., Khalifa Diop, Meleek Thomas, Tristan Enaruna and Tyrese Proctor a chance to get on the floor before the games count. The regular-season opener at Philadelphia on October 22 will be the first real test of how the group looks after the offseason turnover.
Questions fans ask
When do the Cavs play their first regular-season game?
Cleveland opens the regular season on October 22, 2026, on the road against Philadelphia, airing on ESPN.
Who did the Cavs lose this offseason?
Dennis Schröder (now Hornets), Max Strus (Clippers), Dean Wade (76ers), Keon Ellis (Nets) and Larry Nance Jr. (Pacers) are no longer with the team.
What was Cleveland's record last season?
The Cavs went 52-30 in 2025-26.
Who are the Cavs' top returning scorers?
Donovan Mitchell (27.9 ppg last season) and James Harden (23.6 ppg) lead the returning group, followed by Evan Mobley (18.2 ppg) and Jarrett Allen (15.4 ppg).
How many nationally televised games do the Cavs have this season?
Cleveland has 20 national TV games out of an 80-game regular season.
Are any Cavs players dealing with injuries right now?
No injuries are listed for the roster heading into the 2026-27 season.
Injury tracker
updated —| Player | Status | Injury | Est. return |
|---|---|---|---|
| No one on the report. | |||
Rotation tracker · player stock
expectedExpected rotation · minutes from 2025-26
Order = last season's minutes for the players on this roster; the real rotation replaces it after the first regular-season game.
Schedule
Full 2026-27 schedule · 83 games7:00 PM ET
BOS
CLE
Thu, Oct 8
6:30 PM ET
ORL
CLE
Sun, Oct 11
7:00 PM ET
CLE
ORL
Tue, Oct 13
7:00 PM ETESPN
CLE
PHI
Thu, Oct 22 · ESPN
7:30 PM ET
BKN
CLE
Sat, Oct 24
7:00 PM ET
MIN
CLE
Mon, Oct 26
Head-to-head
Cavaliers vs every teamRoster
17 players| # | Player | Pos | Ht | Age | PPG | RPG | APG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  James Harden | G | 6-5 | 37 | 23.6 | 4.8 | 8.0 |
| 3 | Thomas Bryant | C-F | 6-9 | 29 | 6.2 | 3.4 | 0.6 |
| 4 | Evan Mobley | C | 6-11 | 25 | 18.2 | 9.0 | 3.6 |
| 5 | Sam Merrill | G | 6-4 | 30 | 12.8 | 2.6 | 2.4 |
| 8 | Peyton Watson | G | 6-8 | 23 | 14.6 | 4.9 | 2.1 |
| 9 | Craig Porter Jr. | G | 6-1 | 26 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 3.2 |
| 12 | Riley Minix | F | 6-7 | 25 | 3.9 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| 15 | Meleek Thomas | G | 6-5 | 20 | — | — | — |
| 18 | Khalifa Diop | C | 6-11 | 24 | — | — | — |
| 20 | Jaylon Tyson | G-F | 6-6 | 23 | 13.2 | 5.1 | 2.2 |
| 21 | Tristan Enaruna | F | 6-7 | 25 | 4.1 | 1.6 | 0.8 |
| 24 | Tyrese Proctor | G | 6-4 | 22 | 5.4 | 1.3 | 1.5 |
| 31 | Jarrett Allen | C | 6-9 | 28 | 15.4 | 8.5 | 1.8 |
| 33 | Mario Hezonja | F-G | 6-8 | 31 | — | — | — |
| 35 | Nae'Qwan Tomlin | F | 6-8 | 25 | 5.8 | 2.9 | 0.8 |
| 39 | Ernest Udeh, Jr. | C | 6-11 | 22 | — | — | — |
| 45 | Donovan Mitchell | G | 6-2 | 29 | 27.9 | 4.5 | 5.7 |
Per-game stats: 2025-26 (last season, until the new one tips off).
Most-used lineups
2025-26| Five | GP | Min | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| D. Mitchell - D. Hunter - D. Garland - E. Mobley - J. Tyson | 8 | 89 | -14.7 |
| D. Mitchell - J. Allen - D. Wade - E. Mobley - J. Tyson | 7 | 80 | +15.4 |
| J. Harden - D. Mitchell - D. Wade - S. Merrill - E. Mobley | 6 | 64 | +3.1 |
| D. Mitchell - J. Allen - D. Wade - S. Merrill - J. Tyson | 4 | 55 | +42.8 |
| D. Mitchell - J. Allen - D. Hunter - S. Merrill - E. Mobley | 6 | 54 | -1.1 |
| D. Mitchell - J. Allen - D. Hunter - D. Garland - E. Mobley | 6 | 51 | +25.6 |
Trade radar
0 taggedNo rumors tagged to the Cavaliers in the current feeds.
Team stats 2025-26: 119.5 PPG · 44.4 RPG · 28.3 APG