By The Numbers: What Cleveland's 2025-26 Stats Actually Tell…

By the Cavaliers Nightly Desk · Friday, October 16

Cleveland's regular season opens October 22 at Philadelphia, but last season's numbers are still the best evidence of who this team is. Here's what five of them really say — and where they stop proving anything.

Cavaliers Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Was last season's plus-4.1 net rating actually good?

Cleveland's net rating sat at plus-4.1 last season, ninth best in the league, built on an offense that ranked sixth (118.3) and a defense that finished 15th (114.1). That gap between a top-10 offense and a middle-of-the-pack defense is the story: Cleveland can score with anyone, which is why the net rating holds up. It does not prove the defense has caught up, and the defense is what separates this team from a true contender.

What does that 5.7-point swing over the last 10 games mean?

Over Cleveland's last 10 games last season, scoring margin dropped to minus-5.7 a game, down from a season-long average of plus-2.8. That swing shows a team that can lose its edge fast, even after winning most nights for months. It does not tell you why — no injury, lineup change or schedule strength is attached to that stretch in what's been reported. A single bad run is a fact. It isn't a diagnosis.

Why does it matter that two players make $50.1 million each?

Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley each carry a $50.1 million salary, the two largest numbers on a roster that sits above the $200.4 million luxury tax line. That's Cleveland betting its spending on two players already proven. It doesn't say anything about health, fit with Harden, or whether last season's 52-30 record repeats — money committed is a decision, not a result on the floor.

How steep was Jaylon Tyson's minutes drop last season?

Jaylon Tyson's minutes fell to 8.3 a night over his final five games last season, a 15.7-minute drop from his season average. That's a sharp pullback in playing time for a 23-year-old guard-forward still on the roster. It doesn't say whether that was matchup-specific, a coaching choice, or something else — no reason for the drop has been reported. The number is the fact; the cause isn't.

How thin is Cleveland's draft-pick cushion?

Cleveland owns its first-round pick outright in exactly one of the next four drafts: 2030. The 2027, 2028 and 2029 first-round picks are tied up in swaps. The second-round picks from those same years go to Chicago, Utah and Atlanta instead. That's a real constraint on how this front office can maneuver if it wants to add talent through the draft. It doesn't mean those picks are gone for good — swaps can still land in Cleveland's favor.

The verdictLast season's numbers show a team with a top-10 offense carrying a defense that hasn't caught up, a payroll built around two $50.1 million stars, and almost no first-round draft capital to fix either problem on the fly.

What is the Cavaliers' net rating from last season?

Plus-4.1, the ninth-best mark in the league, built on a sixth-ranked offense and a 15th-ranked defense.

How much do Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley each make?

$50.1 million apiece, the two largest salaries on a roster that sits above the $200.4 million luxury tax line.

By the Cavaliers Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.