The Cavaliers are still 0-0, but the numbers already on the books say plenty about where this roster stands. From a payroll deep past the tax threshold to the lineup that outscored teams by 15.4 points per 100 last season, here is what the figures actually show.
Where does the payroll actually sit?
Cleveland is carrying $209.0M in salary, past the $200.4M tax threshold and closing in on the $221.7M second apron. Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell are each signed at $50.1M, with James Harden at $30.6M, Jarrett Allen at $28.0M and Peyton Watson at $20.5M behind them. That number buys continuity, not flexibility.
What did last season's numbers say about this team?
Cleveland went 52-30, with an offensive rating of 118.3 that ranked sixth in the league and a defensive rating of 114.1 that ranked 15th. The net rating of plus-4.1 was ninth-best in the NBA, and the pace of 100.7 possessions a game reflects a team built to push, not slow down. None of it carries over to a fresh 0-0 record.
Which lineup actually produced last season?
The five-man group of Mitchell, Allen, Wade, Mobley and Tyson played 80 minutes across seven games and posted a net rating of plus-15.4, scoring at 115.4 and holding opponents to 100. A second unit with Harden, Mitchell, Wade, Merrill and Mobley logged 64 minutes at plus-3.1. A third grouping with Hunter and Garland in place of Wade and Harden bled points at minus-14.7.
Where does Peyton Watson stand with his hamstring?
Watson has a hamstring problem that moved him from not listed to a questionable tag on September 25, with a projected return around October 1. No further update has come since, and the preseason opener against the Celtics on October 8 is now the first checkpoint for his availability.
What's actually changed on the roster this month?
Brandon Weems was promoted to general manager on September 18, and five days later Cleveland added four players in one move: Curtis Jones, Rashaun Agee, Zack Austin and Kadary Richmond. No contract terms or roles have been disclosed for the group so far. Sean McNeil's two-day stint, signed September 15 and gone by September 17, remains unexplained.
How much is Peyton Watson expected to miss?
Watson is questionable with a hamstring problem first listed September 25, with an estimated return around October 1.
How far over the tax threshold are the Cavaliers?
Cleveland's payroll of $209.0M is above the $200.4M tax threshold, though below the $221.7M second apron.
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