<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lebron-james-ex-teammate-catches-stray-in-draymond-greens-goat-take');   ga('set', 'title', 'LeBron James’ ex-teammate catches stray in Draymond Green’s GOAT take');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Los-Angeles-Lakers-forward-LeBron-James-and-Matthew-Dellavedova.jpg"><figcaption>Bob Donnan-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>LeBron James’ ex-teammate catches stray in Draymond Green’s GOAT take</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T18:03:21-07:00">September 9th, 6:03pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T07:33:21-07:00">September 10th, 7:33am</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James sits near the top of the NBA’s list of all-time greats. However, there is a lot of discourse surrounding on where he ranks among the best players ever. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/10-greatest-teams-to-lose-in-the-nba-finals">Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green clashed with him and the Cleveland Cavaliers four straight years in the NBA Finals</a>. He offered a strong take on James and Matthew Dellavedova.</p><p>Dellavedova captured the NBA world’s attention during the 2015 NBA Finals for his effort against Warriors superstar Steph Curry. The Australian point guard was thrust into action after Kyrie Irving suffered an injury and endeared himself to fans with his effort. However, the veteran was out-matched and the Cavaliers lost that series. However, he helped them win the 2016 title.</p><p>Green appeared on a stream with Kai Cenat, where he talked about James’ greatness. To him, the Lakers legend deserves to sit at the top of the NBA’s all-time rankings, above Michael Jordan. He mentioned that James has <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1965575685013119314" rel="noopener">done more with less</a> help than Jordan did during his career.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“MJ had [Scottie] Pippen, Bron was winning games with Matthew Dellavedova… That guy stinks, no disrespect.”</p><p>Draymond Green on why LeBron James is better than Michael Jordan 👀</p><p>(via @KaiCenat/Twitch)<br> <a href="https://t.co/JlR0nGnmuH">pic.twitter.com/JlR0nGnmuH</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1965575685013119314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“MJ had [Scottie] Pippen, Bron was winning games with Matthew Dellavedova,” Green said. ” That guy stinks, no disrespect.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-draymond-green-rips-stephen-a-smith-weak-lebron-james-take">Green and James are close friends off the court</a> and have a great amount of respect for one another. This is not the first time that the Warriors forward has declared James the greatest player of all time, either. However, the argument between the Lakers forward and Jordan continues between fans all over the world.</p><p>Comparatively, both legends had different paths to greatness. Jordan played for the Chicago Bulls for the vast majority of his career, while James is on his third team after moving to a better situation three times as a free agent. Regardless of where the world stands on players like Dellavedova, the fact that James had to lead him and others to the Finals is reason enough for Green.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

LeBron James’ ex-teammate catches stray in Draymond Green’s GOAT take

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/10-greatest-players-in-cavs-history-ranked');   ga('set', 'title', 'The 10 greatest players in Cavs history, ranked');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/The-10-greatest-players-in-Cavs-history-ranked.jpg"></figure><h1>The 10 greatest players in Cavs history, ranked</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-06T10:55:23-07:00">September 6th, 10:55am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-06T11:00:51-07:00">September 6th, 11:00am</time><address><a>Wyatt Allsup</a>Wyatt Allsup is a sports journalist from Fort Worth, Texas. He joined ClutchPoints in May 2023 and covers football, basketball, baseball and mixed martial arts. Wyatt now lives in Southern California, where he has previously covered USC football and basketball for Sports Illustrated.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Since the Cleveland Cavaliers were established in 1970, they’ve made five NBA Finals trips and won one championship. The Cavs have retired seven jersey numbers throughout their time and have had some very exciting teams in the smaller market that Cleveland is.</p><p>Cavs history will always be tied to the legacy of LeBron James, but who are some of the other all-time great Cavs players?</p><p>As we’ve done <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/the-10-greatest-players-in-bulls-history-ranked" rel="noopener">with the Chicago Bulls</a>, Los Angeles <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/the-10-greatest-lakers-in-franchise-history-ranked" rel="noopener">Lakers and more</a>, we ranked the Top 10 greatest <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cleveland-cavaliers-2025-26-season-predictions-nba-schedule-release">Cavs as they prepare for the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season</a>.</p><h2>10. Anderson Varejão</h2><p>Anderson Varejão played 13 seasons with the Cavs, appearing in 596 games, mostly between 2004 and 2016. He eventually returned to the Cavs on a 10-day contract in 2021 so that he could retire with the team.</p><p>Varejão didn’t rack up many accolades; he was a 2010 All-Defensive Second Team selection, but he was a consistent veteran presence for the Cavs year after year.</p><p>Unfortunately, Varejão was traded just months before the 2016 playoffs and then waived by the Portland Trail Blazers. Not only did he miss out on becoming an NBA champion as part of the Cavs’ <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2016-nba-finals-cavaliers-vs-warriors.html" rel="noopener">iconic 3-1 comeback</a> against the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals, but he actually signed with the Warriors before the playoffs.</p><p>He became the only player to play for both Finals teams in the same season. The Cavs offered Varejão a championship ring for his contribution to the team earlier in the season, which is standard practice. Varejão declined, as he played for the Cavs’ opponent in the Finals.</p><h2>9. Kevin Love</h2><p>Kevin Love was the most difficult player on the list to rank. Should he be on it at all? Should he be higher for his role in the Cavs’ 2016 title run and their four consecutive Finals appearances?</p><p>Love came to Cleveland as one of the best power forwards and rebounders in the entire NBA, following his stint with the Minnesota Timberwolves.</p><p>He assumed a smaller role behind LeBron James and Kyrie Irving, but he was still the clear-cut third option on the team and added some quality production.</p><p>Love ended up playing 8.5 seasons with the Cavs and was a two-time All-Star. He averaged just over 16 points in his Cleveland career.</p><p>Given the length of his time in Cleveland, Love could easily be higher on this list, depending on how much stock you put into his contribution to the Cavs’ title run. It was known as a “Big Three,” but Love’s impact wasn’t always felt the same way a multiple-time All-Star’s impact is felt.</p><p>The other reason Love lands here is because the prime of his career was in Minnesota. He had two of his six seasons on the Timberwolves averaging more than 26 points per game. Love is more of a Timberwolf than a Cavalier in my eyes.</p><h2>8. Bingo Smith</h2><p>Bobby “Bingo” Smith played 10 seasons for the Cavs in the 70s, averaging over 13 points through 720 games. He helped the 1975-76 team to its first playoff berth, divisional championship and playoff series win in franchise history. The Cavs’ Eastern Conference Semifinal victory over the Washington Bullets became known in Ohio as the Miracle of Richfield, as the Cavs won three of the seven games on last-second shots.</p><p>That team ultimately lost to the Boston Celtics in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals, but it was a legendary moment in Cleveland sports history.</p><p>Smith never made an All-Star team, but his jersey, No. 7, is retired by the Cavs.</p><h2>7. Austin Carr</h2><p>Austin Carr was another key contributor for the Cavs in the 70s, and a member of that same 1976 playoff team with Bingo Smith. Carr averaged just under 12 points per game in that playoff run. He averaged 16.2 points per game in his regular season career in Cleveland.</p><p>Carr was an elite college basketball player, and the Cavs drafted him first overall in 1971. He made the All-Rookie First Team and was an All-Star in 1974.</p><p>Carr’s jersey, No. 34, is retired by the Cavs.</p><h2>6. Larry Nance Sr.</h2><p>Larry Nance Sr. arrived in Cleveland via trade in the midst of the 1987-88 season. He proved to a compatible running mate alongside Mark Price and Brad Daugherty. Those Cleveland teams in the late 80s and early 90s had potential and made it to one Eastern Conference Finals. However, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls had other plans.</p><p>Nance played seven seasons with the Cavs and made two All-Star appearances. He averaged over 16 points and eight rebounds, along with 2.5 blocks, in his Cavs tenure.</p><p>Nance was also selected to three All-Defensive teams for his rim protecting efforts. He was a high-flyer and an exciting player to watch. Unfortunately, his career was cut short by knee injuries, and he retired following the 1994 season.</p><p>Nance’s son, Larry Nance Jr., also played for the Cavs for 3+ seasons and went to the NBA Finals in 2018 with LeBron James. Nance Jr. also participated in the 2018 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, coming in second place. Nance Sr. won the NBA’s first dunk contest back in 1984.</p><p>His jersey, No. 22, is retired by the Cavs.</p><h2>5. Zydrunas Ilgauskas</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/LeBron-James-talking-with-Zydrunas-Ilgauskas.jpg"><figcaption>Nicole Sweet-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Zydrunas “Big Z” Ilgauskas spent 14 years with the Cavs, the most of any player in the franchise’s history. At 7-foot-3, the Lithuanian was aptly nicknamed. Big Z was a two-time All-Star and averaged double digits in scoring in every season he played in Cleveland, and he was a starter for most of his time with the team.</p><p>In his rookie year, Ilgauskas played in all 82 regular-season games (81 starts) and averaged 13.9 points and 8.8 rebounds, earning an All-Rookie First Team selection in 1998.</p><p>Ilgauskas once topped the list of most games played with the Cavs, but LeBron James eventually surpassed him, despite spending less time in Cleveland. Ilgauskas missed two full seasons and the majority of two others with injuries.</p><p>His jersey, No. 11, is retired by the Cavs. At the time, he was just the third European to have his jersey retired by an NBA team.</p><h2>4. Brad Daugherty</h2><p>Brad Daugherty spent his whole NBA career with the Cavs. He technically was on the team for 10 seasons, but was only able to play in eight. He sat out the final two seasons of his career with back injuries that forced him into an early retirement. At the time of his retirement, he was the Cavs’ all-time leading scorer and rebounder.</p><p>In those eight seasons on the floor, however, Daugherty was a five-time All-Star and averaged 19 points and 9.5 rebounds. He averaged a double-double for the final four seasons of his career.</p><p>The Cavs selected Daugherty with the first overall pick in the 1986 draft, and he immediately made an impact. Daugherty made the All-Rookie First Team and was an All-Star by his second year.</p><p>He was a model of consistency on the Mark-Price-led Cavs playoffs teams alongside guys like Ron Harper and John “Hot Rod” Williams, who would be honorable mentions on this list.</p><p>Daugherty’s jersey, No. 43, is retired by the Cavs.</p><h2><b>3. Mark Price</b></h2><p>Mark Price was the greatest Cavs legend before LeBron James came along. In nine seasons with the Cavs, he was a four-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA selection. He averaged 16.4 points and 7.2 assists in his career in Cleveland. He’s also one of just 10 players in the NBA’s 50-40-90 club and the second player to ever achieve the feat, after Larry Bird.</p><p>At just 5-foot-11 with limited athleticism, Price relied on pure skill and an elite shooting touch to be effective. He shot 40% from three-point territory throughout his entire NBA career.</p><p>Price led the Cavs to the playoffs almost every year during his prime, but unfortunately, those teams kept running into Michael Jordan’s Bulls.</p><p>Price’s jersey, No. 25, is retired by the Cavs.</p><h2>2. Kyrie Irving</h2><p>Kyrie Irving’s contributions to the Cavs’ only championship are more important than anything anyone not named LeBron James has done for the Cavs franchise. Irving was the missing piece that James never had in his first go-around in Cleveland. Though he spent less time in Cleveland than Mark Price, and he may not be remembered as fondly, Irving was the better player and achieved more for the Cavs on the biggest stages than Price ever did.</p><p>Irving’s ball-handling, scoring and clutch play helped the Cavs reach three NBA Finals and win the iconic 2016 title vs. the Warriors. His game-winning three in the final minute of Game 7 will never be forgotten.</p><p>The Cavs drafted Irving first overall in 2011, and he won the Rookie of the Year award. He played six seasons for Cleveland and was a four-time All-Star. He averaged 21.6 points and 5.5 assists in his time with the Cavs.</p><p>Kyrie Irving also has the best chance of anyone on the list (besides LeBron) of making it to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.</p><h2>1. LeBron James</h2><p>Okay, LeBron James is obviously the best and greatest player in Cavs history. He will always be loved in Cleveland for bringing the city its first championship in 2016.</p><p>Over two stints, James played 11 seasons with the Cavs. He won one championship, one NBA Finals MVP, two regular-season MVPs, the 2004 Rookie of the Year award, one scoring title, and he earned 10 All-Star selections, 10 All-NBA selections, two All-Defensive selections. He’s the franchise leader in points, assists, rebounds, steals, and three-pointers.</p><p>Even if James had never returned to Cleveland and brought the city a championship, he would still be No. 1 on this list. The Cavs have never had another MVP and rarely have had perennial All-Stars.</p><p>James carried the franchise to its first NBA Finals appearance in 2007 with a mediocre roster. Even in his early years with the Cavs, James brought Cleveland more success than the organization ever had before.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The 10 greatest players in Cavs history, ranked

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/gaming/cleveland-cavaliers-nba-2k26-ratings-that-are-100-wrong');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cleveland Cavaliers NBA 2K26 ratings that are 100% wrong');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Jarrett-Allen-Evan-Mobley-show-the-lights-weren_t-too-bright-in-win-over-Warriors.jpg"></figure><h1>Cleveland Cavaliers NBA 2K26 ratings that are 100% wrong</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-27T22:36:32-07:00">August 27th, 10:36pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-27T22:36:32-07:00">August 27th, 10:36pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Coming off a dream (regular) season, the Cleveland Cavaliers may very well get some love from NBA 2K, their horrific <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-cleveland-season-ends-familiar-collapse-pacers">playoff exit at the hands of the Indiana Pacers</a> notwithstanding. NBA 2K26 is about to hit the shelves, both physical and digital ones, starting on the fifth of September, although those who want to access the game early by paying a premium can do so a week earlier.</p><p>For the Cavs, they did emerge as a dominant team last year, albeit in the regular season, and that body of work across an entire season should take precedent when it comes to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/gaming/top-10-player-ratings-for-nba-2k26">NBA 2K ratings</a>. It would be rather harsh for NBA 2K to penalize them for sputtering in the postseason when their team was no longer 100 percent healthy.</p><p>But NBA 2K has never been perfect, and it never will be, and there are bound to be misfires on the ratings department. Ratings aren’t confirmed yet for all the players in the league, but 2K recently released its top 100 list — with Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander standing tall above everybody else. The Cavs’ highest-rated player, for that matter, is Donovan Mitchell, who, at 93 overall, places just outside the top-10 at rank 11.</p><p>With that said, these are some ratings that NBA 2K misfired on for the Cavs.</p><h2>Cavs star Evan Mobley misses out on the 90 club?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Evan-Mobley-block-Cavs-Magic.jpg"><figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>This may be splitting hairs, but it’s a bit perplexing as to how Evan Mobley would miss the 90 club, instead ending up as one of the best 89 overall-rated players in the game. Mitchell understandably gets so much love, but this Cavs team would not have won 64 games in the regular season and blossomed into a title-favorite if not for the emergence of Mobley into a full-blown two-way star.</p><p>As if anyone needs more evidence that Mobley belongs in the 90 club, he <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-evan-mobleys-bold-prediction-after-winning-dpoy">did win Defensive Player of the Year</a> and made plenty of strides on the offensive end of the floor at age 24. 2K certainly places an emphasis on potential when it comes to giving out ratings, hence the 89 for Paolo Banchero despite his efficiency struggles and the 91 for Ja Morant despite a decline in his play from two seasons ago.</p><p>And for Mobley, he did end up averaging 19/9/3 on 56/37/73 shooting splits, flashing an improved handle, a night-and-day change in his ability to shoot threes, and, most importantly, the Cavs, as good as they were, were even better every time Mobley was on the court — being <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612739&amp;Season=2024-25&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=1630596" rel="noopener">five points better</a> per 100 possessions, as per PBP Stats.</p><p>A lot of what Mobley does does not show up on the box score. He is fleet of foot and keeps up with many ballhandlers, and his ability to protect the rim from the weak side allowed the Cavs to do so much damage.</p><p>At the end of the day, an 89 overall is not insulting at all. But for someone who made the All-NBA Second Team last year, is one of the most talented all-around big men in the association, a focal point of one of the best teams in the league, NBA 2K has to give him a 90 or 91 rating at the very least.</p><p>No one batted an eye when <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-donovan-mitchell-evan-mobley-earn-exclusive-honors-joining-lebron-james-and-kyrie-irving">he earned an All-NBA Second Team selection</a>. But why on earth is he rated lower than the likes of Jaylen Brown, Trae Young, or Morant?</p><p>But Mobley is certainly good enough that his game should do enough of the talking, powering him into the 90-club early on in the season.</p><h2><b>Should 2K have lit a fire underneath Jarrett Allen?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Tyrese-Haliburton-reveals-helpful-talks-with-Jayson-Tatum-Joel-Embiid-1.jpg"><figcaption>David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Allen was a major driving force for the Cavs during the 2024-25 season. He played in all 82 regular-season games and averaged 13.5 points and 9.7 rebounds per contest, combining with Mobley to power the Cavs’ inside-outside attack.</p><p>However, in the playoffs, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-might-have-to-bench-this-star-to-beat-pacers-in-playoffs">Allen wasn’t exactly at his best</a>. He was very good during the Cavs’ sweep of the Miami Heat in the first round, but against the Pacers, he wasn’t up to snuff. He did have his big statistical games, but the Pacers targeted him in pick-and-rolls, with Tyrese Haliburton carving them up on the interior.</p><p>During the Cavs’ series defeat, they put up a defensive rating of 116.7, a mark that would have landed them at 26th in the entire association if it held for the entire season. By the end of the series, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-kenny-atkinson-challenges-jarrett-allen-pacers-matchup">Allen was being yanked</a> by head coach Kenny Atkinson, with Mobley being deployed at the five for more mobility and defensive coverage.</p><p>An 84 overall might seem very fair for Allen. Nonetheless, NBA 2K could have lit a fire underneath him and given him an 82, but that would have been too harsh.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cleveland Cavaliers NBA 2K26 ratings that are 100% wrong

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-max-strus-foot-surgery');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Max Strus to miss start of season after foot surgery');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Cavs-Max-Strus-dribbling.jpg"><figcaption>Scott Kinser-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cavs’ Max Strus to miss start of season after foot surgery</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-26T13:02:43-07:00">August 26th, 1:02pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-26T13:22:03-07:00">August 26th, 1:22pm</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Cleveland Cavaliers forward Max Strus <a href="https://x.com/cavs/status/1960429967311036919" rel="noopener">underwent successful surgery</a> on Tuesday to repair a Jones Fracture in his left foot, the team announced Tuesday afternoon.</p><p>Strus suffered this injury during offseason training, and the surgery was performed in Indianapolis.</p><p>The good news for Cavs fans is that Strus won’t miss the whole year and should be able to resume basketball activities in approximately three to four months.</p><p>However, the bad news is that Cleveland is that they made major roster changes this offseason and will now be without their starting sharpshooter on the wing to begin the 2025-26 season.</p><p>Last season, Strus started in 37 of the 50 games he played, averaging 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. His 3-and-D abilities on the wing helped elevate the Cavaliers to the best record in the Eastern Conference during the 2024-25 season with a 64-18 record.</p><p>This was Cleveland’s best regular-season record since winning 66 games during the 2008-09 season with LeBron James. That year, the Cavs made it to the Eastern Conference Finals.</p><p>Unfortunately for Strus and the Cavs, they were not as successful during the 2024-25 season, as they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-bold-promise-next-season">fell in five games to the Indiana Pacers</a> in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.</p><p>Strus entering training camp and the regular season recovering from his left foot surgery is not ideal for the Cavaliers, especially after making significant roster changes in the offseason.</p><p>Ty Jerome, a finalist for the Sixth Man of the Year award last year, left in free agency for the Memphis Grizzlies, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-lonzo-ball-breaks-silence-trade-cavaliers">Isaac Okoro was traded to the Chicago Bulls for Lonzo Ball.</a></p><p>The Cavaliers are also entering the preseason without All-Star point guard Darius Garland, who <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/darius-garland-toe-surgery-announced-amid-cavs-trade-rumors">underwent left big toe surgery in June</a> and won’t be ready to resume basketball activities until October at the earliest.</p><p>Further updates on Strus’ health and recovery will be provided by the Cavs at some point during the regular season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Max Strus to miss start of season after foot surgery

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-warriors-lakers-predicted-to-make-big-move-before-trade-deadline');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Warriors, Lakers predicted to make ‘big move before trade deadline’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Stephen-Curry-and-LeBron-James.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Warriors, Lakers predicted to make ‘big move before trade deadline’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-26T08:48:16-07:00">August 26th, 8:48am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-26T15:59:42-07:00">August 26th, 3:59pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-news-2025-26-regular-season-schedule-comes-with-surprising-detail">2025-26 NBA season approaching</a>, speculation around trade activity is already building. According to an ESPN report, league insiders predict the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers are the most likely teams to <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/46030771/nba-predictions-summer-forecast-2025-2026-turnarounds-turbulent-teams-biggest-questions" rel="noopener">make significant roster moves</a> before the trade deadline.</p><p>The Warriors topped the list with seven votes from ESPN’s panel, while the Lakers followed with five votes. Both franchises have been active in reshaping their rosters over the past year and remain positioned for additional maneuvering as the season unfolds.</p><p>ESPN’s Anthony Slater outlined why Golden State leads the projections.</p><p>“The Warriors lead this list because they’ve essentially spent the offseason signaling a desire for deadline movement. Their two-year, $45 million contract offer to restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga was designed to get him on a salary number they can flip come January.</p><p>“The Lakers, who are transitioning into the Luka Doncic era, have maintained a few first-round sweeteners that can be used to get a deal done as LeBron James’ expiring contract looms. For the Cavaliers’ situation, disappointment and desperation can breed movement. If they fear their high-value core four won’t get it done in the playoffs again, they may decide to flip one and change up the mix.”</p><p>The Warriors’ potential trade strategy centers on balancing their veteran core with younger assets. Stephen Curry, entering his 17th NBA season, remains the cornerstone of the franchise. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/warriors-news-jimmy-butler-heat-trade">Golden State added Jimmy Butler in a blockbuster deadline deal</a> last year, signaling a win-now mentality. The decision to potentially <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/golden-state-warriors/should-warriors-change-jonathan-kuminga-contract">extend Kuminga on a short-term deal could provide the financial flexibility</a> needed to pursue additional high-level talent during the upcoming season.</p><h2><b>Lakers, Cavs join Warriors as teams predicted to make trade deadline moves</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/LeBron-James-Stephen-Curry-after-Lakers-Warriors-game.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>The Lakers also remain firmly in the conversation for a midseason move. After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/dallas-mavericks/mavericks-news-anthony-davis-luka-doncic-top-players-watch-2025-26-stephen-a-smith-says">acquiring Luka Doncic in a February trade with the Dallas Mavericks that sent Anthony Davis</a> to Dallas, the team has embraced a new direction. While James prepares for his 23rd season and faces free agency next summer, Los Angeles has preserved some draft capital that could be used to strengthen the roster.</p><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers came in third with three votes following their 64-18 regular season that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-cleveland-season-ends-familiar-collapse-pacers">ended in the second round of the NBA Playoffs against the Indiana Pacers</a>. Despite their success, the Cavaliers face mounting pressure to advance further, and questions remain about whether their current core can deliver postseason results. That uncertainty leaves them as another franchise to monitor closely ahead of February.</p><p>Both the Warriors and Lakers face heightened pressure to contend in a competitive Western Conference. Golden State’s core of Curry, Butler, and Draymond Green aims to extend the franchise’s championship window, while Los Angeles is focused on maximizing the partnership between Doncic and James. The uncertainty surrounding James’ future adds another layer of intrigue to the Lakers’ potential trade approach.</p><p>The 2025-26 trade deadline is set for February, but the conversation is already shaping the season’s narrative. For Golden State, Los Angeles and Cleveland, the possibility of a “big move” underscores the urgency to remain among the league’s top contenders.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Warriors, Lakers predicted to make ‘big move before trade deadline’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-juan-soto-free-agency-donovan-mitchell-josh-hart');   ga('set', 'title', 'Juan Soto’s free agency got personal for Donovan Mitchell, Josh Hart');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Juan-Soto_e30187.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Juan Soto’s free agency got personal for Donovan Mitchell, Josh Hart</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-20T16:33:40-07:00">August 20th, 4:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-20T16:33:40-07:00">August 20th, 4:33pm</time><address><a>Zachary Draves</a>Zachary Draves is a sportswriter and broadcaster based in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. Zachary covers a variety of different sports as well as sports history, sport and society, and sport and culture. He is also a professor of sociology.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>New York Mets slugger <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-juan-soto-francisco-lindor-legends-franchise-history" rel="noopener">Juan Soto is a walking history in the making</a>. But he seems to bring out the worst in people. </p><p>As was the case with Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Josh Hart of the New York Knicks. In a recent exchange, Mitchell and Hart <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1958296677573595526" rel="noopener">reflected </a>on the free agency period that led to Soto signing with the Mets, per MLB. </p><p>Both men said things got personal between them on social media about where Soto would end up. </p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Donovan Mitchell and <a href="https://twitter.com/joshhart?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JoshHart</a> were going at it during the Juan Soto free agency sweepstakes 🗣️</p><p>Hopefully there’s no hard feelings between the two 😂 <a href="https://t.co/mGqjjafB6j">pic.twitter.com/mGqjjafB6j</a></p><p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1958296677573595526?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 20, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Ultimately, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/new-york-mets-bold-predictions-after-giving-juan-soto-765-million-contract" rel="noopener">Soto signed a historic $765 million contract with the Mets</a> for the next 15 years. At the time, he had received offers from the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays, and Boston Red Sox. </p><p>Currently, Soto is batting .251 with 110 hits, 31 home runs, and 72 RBIs. Meanwhile, the Mets are 67-58 and in the heat of a playoff race. </p><p>As for Mitchell, he is entering his 8th season in the NBA with the Cavaliers. At the same time, Hart is set to begin his second year with the Knicks. </p><h2><b>The fandom of Juan Soto by Donovan Mitchell</b></h2><p>Mitchell is a huge fan of Soto as well as the Mets. When he was younger, his father worked for the organization, and Donovan was the bat boy at one point. </p><p>As a result, he has become a frequent presence at Mets games. His fandom of Soto was significantly expanded. He <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-donovan-mitchell-interaction-mets-juan-soto-goes-viral" rel="noopener">FaceTimed Soto after he signed the historic contract</a> in December. </p><p>As far as the NBA goes, Soto’s deal has been compared to the likes of NBA players such as Steph Curry and Jayson Tatum, who each signed historic, lucrative contracts. New York has quite the talent pool, both on the hardwood and the diamond. </p><p>Soto’s rise coincides with that of Hart, Jalen Brunson, and Karl-Anthony Towns, who led the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Big Apple is big enough. </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Juan Soto’s free agency got personal for Donovan Mitchell, Josh Hart

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/wnba/wnba-stories/wnba-news-cavaliers-executive-tapped-for-cleveland-expansion-team-1st-president');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavaliers executive tapped for Cleveland expansion team’s 1st president');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Cavaliers-executive-tapped-for-Cleveland-expansion-teams-1st-president.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Cavaliers executive tapped for Cleveland expansion team’s 1st president</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-19T12:10:18-07:00">August 19th, 12:10pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-19T12:10:18-07:00">August 19th, 12:10pm</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Allison Howard, a longtime executive with the Cleveland Cavaliers, has been <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wnba-cleveland-president-8edd8cfeffd616f672f07b31b47c7b95" rel="noopener">named the first president</a> of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/wnba/wnba-stories/wnba-news-cleveland-expansion-team">WNBA’s Cleveland expansion team</a>, the franchise announced Tuesday, according to the Associated Press.</p><p>Howard currently serves as executive vice president and chief commercial officer for Rock Entertainment Group and the Cavaliers. She will retain that role through the upcoming NBA season while simultaneously leading the operational launch of the Cleveland WNBA franchise, which is scheduled to begin play in 2028.</p><p>Her appointment comes as the WNBA undergoes its most ambitious expansion in decades. The Cleveland team follows the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/wnba/golden-state-valkyries/valkyries-news-golden-state-wnba-expansion-record-win-vs-sky">successful debut of the Golden State Valkyries</a>, who hold an 18-16 record in their inaugural 2025 season. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/wnba/wnba-stories/wnba-news-toronto-tempo-next-era">Toronto Tempo and Portland Thorns are expected to join the league in 2026</a>. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/wnba/wnba-stories/wnba-news-league-expand-by-3-teams-by-2030">WNBA plans to grow to 18 teams by 2030</a>, adding three more franchises over the next several years.</p><p>In her current role, Howard oversees revenue-generating departments including corporate partnerships, membership sales, youth sports programming, and ticket operations. She also manages the Cavaliers’ fan experience and venue strategy. That broad commercial and community-focused experience will inform her leadership of the new WNBA franchise.</p><p>As team president, Howard will take charge of all aspects of the franchise’s business operations. This includes team culture, staff development, marketing strategy, community outreach, and the overall commercial direction of the organization.</p><h2><b>Allison Howard’s hire marks major step in Cleveland WNBA team’s launch</b></h2><p>Rock Entertainment Group CEO Nic Barlage praised Howard’s leadership and her track record of growing women’s sports. Howard’s role is considered foundational to the franchise’s early development, and her existing relationships within the Cavaliers’ network are expected to accelerate the team’s launch.</p><p>The Cleveland franchise was awarded earlier this year as part of the WNBA’s strategic growth into new and returning markets. The city last hosted a WNBA team in 2003, when the Cleveland Rockers folded after seven seasons. The return of professional women’s basketball to the region marks a significant milestone for the league and for Ohio.</p><p>The new team has not yet announced its name, branding, or basketball operations leadership. However, Howard’s appointment marks the franchise’s most significant hire to date, setting the tone for its culture and community engagement efforts.</p><p>With growing media rights revenue, expanding corporate partnerships, and a surge in viewership, the WNBA’s recent expansion reflects increased investment in women’s sports. The league is capitalizing on this momentum with the rollout of new franchises in key markets.</p><p>Howard is expected to transition fully into her new role following the conclusion of the 2024–25 NBA season. In the meantime, she will oversee the foundational planning needed to prepare the Cleveland WNBA franchise for its 2028 debut.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavaliers executive tapped for Cleveland expansion team’s 1st president

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cleveland-cavaliers-2025-nba-cup-predictions');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cleveland Cavaliers 2025 NBA Cup East Group A predictions');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Donovan-Mitchell.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cleveland Cavaliers 2025 NBA Cup East Group A predictions</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-18T07:22:14-07:00">August 18th, 7:22am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-18T07:22:14-07:00">August 18th, 7:22am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers enter the 2025 NBA Cup with both pride and unfinished business. Last season, they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cleveland-cavaliers-2025-26-season-predictions-nba-schedule-release">looked every bit like a juggernaut</a>, storming out of the gates with a franchise-best 15-0 start and finishing with 64 wins, the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Yet, for all that regular-season brilliance, their dreams of hardware were crushed in two cruelly familiar ways: by the Atlanta Hawks in Group Play and the Indiana Pacers in the playoffs.</p><p>Those scars make this year’s Cup campaign feel even more urgent. Cleveland boasts one of the most complete rosters in the NBA, led by Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Darius Garland, but the Cup format leaves little margin for error. One bad night can flip the group standings.</p><p>The Cavaliers will open their East Group A journey on October 31 against the Toronto Raptors before facing the Washington Wizards, Pacers, and Hawks across November. Here’s a game-by-game breakdown and prediction of how the Cavs’ run may unfold.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">reAdy for the NBA Cup. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetEmKnow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetEmKnow</a> <a href="https://t.co/2nyfVmwxEb">pic.twitter.com/2nyfVmwxEb</a></p><p>— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) <a href="https://twitter.com/cavs/status/1943012275423531057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 9, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Cavs vs. </b><b>Raptors </b></h2><p>The Cavaliers couldn’t ask for a better opening matchup. The Raptors are in a transitional phase, still trying to strike the right balance between developing young talent and competing with a reshaped roster. While Toronto has intriguing pieces, including Scottie Barnes and the recently drafted addition of Collin Murray-Boyles, they remain a team prone to inconsistency.</p><p>Cleveland, by contrast, has continuity, star power, and an edge in almost every department. Defensively, Mobley and Jarrett Allen provide a paint-protecting wall that will make it difficult for Barnes and Toronto’s slashers to find easy baskets. Offensively, Mitchell’s ability to score in bursts should help Cleveland build early separation.</p><p>With the NBA Cup opener at home, expect the Cavs to ride their defensive intensity and star guard play to a comfortable victory.</p><p><b>Prediction: Cavaliers win comfortably (1-0 in Group Play).</b></p><h2><b>Cavs vs. Wizards</b></h2><p>The Wizards represent another favorable matchup for Cleveland. Washington has taken steps toward respectability, especially with the growth of Bilal Coulibaly and their recent draft selections, but they remain at least a year or two away from threatening contenders. Their roster construction lacks the defensive stoppers needed to contain Cleveland’s perimeter attack.</p><p>This game projects as another showcase for Mitchell and Garland, with the backcourt exploiting mismatches against Washington’s guards. Mobley’s two-way impact also looms large here, as he can both anchor the defense and punish smaller Wizards lineups offensively.</p><p>While Washington may keep it competitive early, Cleveland’s depth and cohesion will overwhelm them in the second half.</p><p><b>Prediction: Cavaliers pull away late (2-0 in Group Play).</b></p><h2><b>Cavs vs. Pacers </b></h2><p>This is the most fascinating game of the group. A <a href="https://www.nba.com/playoffs/2025/east-semifinal-1" rel="noopener">rematch of last year’s</a> stunning playoff series, the Pacers carry the psychological advantage of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cleveland-cavaliers-most-to-blame-for-playoff-series-flameout-vs-pacers">having eliminated Cleveland</a>. Tyrese Haliburton’s orchestrating, combined with Indiana’s offensive tempo, proved to be Cleveland’s undoing last season, and the Cavs know it.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">BACK-TO-BACK CONFERENCE FINALS FOR INDIANA 🏁 </p><p>Pacers eliminate the 1-seed Cavs in five games to advance! <a href="https://t.co/LTIlp4I6Az">pic.twitter.com/LTIlp4I6Az</a></p><p>— ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1922467343331922013?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Indiana remains a matchup problem. Their ability to play five-out and drag Allen and Mobley into space stretches Cleveland’s defense thin. However, this time, the Cavs should respond differently. After a summer of reflection and tactical adjustments, expect Cleveland to deploy more versatile defensive looks, potentially using Mobley at the five to counter Indiana’s spacing. Mitchell, playing with revenge on his mind, could take over as the game’s defining scorer.</p><p>It won’t be easy, but Cleveland’s maturity and adjustments should carry them through.</p><p><b>Prediction: Cavaliers win a nail-biter (3-0 in Group Play).</b></p><h2><b>Cavs vs. Hawks</b></h2><p>The group stage finale may decide everything, and unfortunately for Cleveland, it comes against their nemesis. The Hawks not only knocked them out of Cup contention last season but also handed the Cavs their first consecutive losses of the year. Atlanta has retooled once again, bringing in Kristaps Porziņģis alongside Trae Young and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, giving them both size and shooting to stretch Cleveland’s frontcourt.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Cavs were 17-1 before two games against the Hawks.</p><p>They are now 17-3. <a href="https://t.co/QDPILRDeE5">pic.twitter.com/QDPILRDeE5</a></p><p>— Hawks On FanDuel Sports Network (@FanDuelSN_Hawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/FanDuelSN_Hawks/status/1862616466430075036?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>This matchup is brutal for the Cavaliers. Porziņģis can pull Mobley or Allen away from the rim, weakening Cleveland’s defensive backbone. Young’s playmaking remains a nightmare to defend, particularly if Murray takes on the tougher backcourt defensive assignments to free Young offensively. Atlanta’s offseason moves addressed their weaknesses, making them arguably stronger than last year.</p><p>Given the Hawks’ firepower and psychological edge, it’s tough to pick Cleveland here. The Cavs may already be 3-0 entering this game, but the Hawks are likely to have just as much at stake.</p><p><b>Prediction: Hawks edge Cleveland in a high-scoring clash (3-1 Group Play).</b></p><h2><b>What happens next?</b></h2><p>If the Cavs finish 3-1, their fate hinges on tiebreakers. Last season, Atlanta’s head-to-head win cost Cleveland the group. This time, though, the Cavs’ superior point differential in their first three wins could keep them alive as a wild card.</p><p>From there, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-cleveland-projected-to-finish-with-no-1-seed-in-east-again">Cleveland has the roster</a> to make a deep elimination-round push. Unlike last year, the Cavs should have the playoff sting as added motivation. Facing top Western opponents like the Thunder, Suns, or Nuggets would be daunting, but Cleveland’s balanced roster gives them a fighting chance in one-and-done settings.</p><p>Still, the Hawks’ matchup looms as their biggest obstacle in the East. Until Cleveland finds a consistent formula against Atlanta’s combination of shooting and playmaking, their Cup ceiling may be capped short of the Final.</p><p>The Cavaliers enter the 2025 NBA Cup as one of the East’s best bets to advance out of group play. Their roster continuity, defensive strength, and offensive star power should carry them past Toronto, Washington, and Indiana. But Atlanta remains the thorn in their side, and that final matchup could again decide their Cup destiny.</p><p>Even with a projected 3-1 finish, Cleveland has enough firepower to secure a wild-card berth and test itself against the NBA’s elite. Whether they can finally solve the Hawks and exorcise last year’s playoff demons will determine if this Cup journey ends in redemption or another heartbreak.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cleveland Cavaliers 2025 NBA Cup East Group A predictions

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-nuggets-cavs-headline-essential-games-2025-26-title-defense');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nuggets, Cavs headline Thunder’s essential games in 2025-26 title defense');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Thunder-news-Nuggets-Cavs-matchups-headline-Thunders-essential-games-in-2025-26-title-defense.jpg"></figure><h1>Nuggets, Cavs headline Thunder’s essential games in 2025-26 title defense</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-16T13:17:13-07:00">August 16th, 1:17pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-16T13:17:13-07:00">August 16th, 1:17pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The defending NBA champion Oklahoma City <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/oklahoma-city-thunder-2025-26-season-predictions-nba-schedule-release">Thunder have set the bar higher than ever</a> for themselves, as reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-Star Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren enter the 2025-26 campaign. The Thunder will navigate the regular season with a target on its back, from very talented teams such as the Denver Nuggets and the Cleveland Cavs. The secret’s out on how young and talented Oklahoma City is as the team.</p><p>OKC has the best odds of repeating as champions since the Golden State Warriors in 2017. The Thunder reigned a cut above the rest in the Western Conference throughout the regular season last year, winning 68 games before posting a 12-4 record en route to the NBA Finals. Their NBA Finals series went the distance against the Indiana Pacers. The Thunder received the champion’s treatment amidst the NBA’s regular-season schedule release.</p><p>Oklahoma City will be featured in <a href="https://x.com/BrettSiegelNBA/status/1956069431039418402" rel="noopener">34 nationally-televised games</a>, including the association’s respective Christmas Day and Martin Luther King Day showcases. Here are the top-5 must-see matchups throughout the Thunder’s 2025-26 regular season.</p><h2><b>5. San Antonio Spurs on December 25 [ABC]</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Thunder-forward-Chet-Holmgren-and-Spurs-center-Victor-Wembanyama.jpg"><figcaption>Feb 29, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) and San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) battle for position in the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Led by All-Star Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs will look to make a significant push into becoming a playoff team in a competitive Western Conference in 2025-26. In the Thunder’s first Christmas Day game since 2018, the 2025 champions earned the honor to feature the Chet Holmgren vs Wembanyama showdown between the top two picks from their 2022 draft class. The Spurs can test where they stand against the reigning champions.</p><h2><b>4. Los Angeles Lakers on April 2 [Prime]  </b></h2><p>With All-Star LeBron James entering the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, who officially made Luka Doncic the future of its franchise, following a three-year extension, the pressure’s on the two to lead their team beyond the opening round of the playoffs. In their first full season together, the Lakers will find out if they’re legitimate title contenders in a matchup against the Thunder at the Paycom Center, with playoff implications most likely in play.</p><h2><b>3. Houston Rockets on October 21 [NBC]</b></h2><p>The Thunder will cement their 2025 NBA title on Opening Night against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets. In their first ring and championship banner ceremony, it’ll be a historic night in franchise history. Fittingly enough, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-kevin-durant-returns-championship-ceremony-opening-night">Durant will watch it all at the Paycom Center</a>. Once the face of the franchise, Durant left OKC to win titles with the Golden State Warriors. Now, with the highly anticipated revamped Rockets, KD will get first crack at the champs.</p><h2><b>2. Cleveland Cavs on February 22 [ABC]</b></h2><p>After injuries derailed a promising Cleveland Cavs team destined to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, the All-Star trio of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley is back to regain supremacy in the East. After two compelling matchups in 2024-25, one of which the Cavs handed the Thunder its only loss to an Eastern Conference team last season, this mid-season marquee matchup and potential NBA Finals preview will not disappoint.</p><h2><b>1. Denver Nuggets on March 9 [Amazon Prime]</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Nuggets-All-Star-Nikola-Jokic.jpg"><figcaption>Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>As the only team in the Western Conference that pushed the Thunder to the brink in last year’s playoffs, Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets reloaded a roster whose depth rivals the champs’ second unit. They added rim protection by trading for Jonas Valanciunas, three-point shooting in signing Tim Hardaway Jr., and perimeter defense by bringing back Nuggets champion Bruce Brown. The Nuggets also upgraded Michael Porter Jr. with Cameron Johnson, and are the Thunder’s biggest threat to prevent the champs from going back-to-back.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nuggets, Cavs headline Thunder’s essential games in 2025-26 title defense

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cleveland-cavaliers-2025-26-season-predictions-nba-schedule-release');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cleveland Cavaliers 2025-26 season predictions after NBA schedule release');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Cleveland-Cavaliers-2025-26-season-predictions-after-NBA-schedule-release.jpg"></figure><h1>Cleveland Cavaliers 2025-26 season predictions after NBA schedule release</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-15T11:35:33-07:00">August 15th, 11:35am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-15T11:35:33-07:00">August 15th, 11:35am</time><address><a>RB Hayek</a>RB Hayek has been writing about sports for over a decade and is currently a member of ClutchPoints' editorial team after primarily focusing on betting content. In addition, he is also a published author of thriller novels, available on Amazon.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers have <a href="https://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/releases-2025-26-schedule-250814" rel="noopener">announced their schedule</a> and are ready to run it back. Ultimately, there are many trinkets on the Cavaliers’ schedule that are too good not to go through. There will be many 2025-26 season predictions, some of which involve the Cavs. But these Cavaliers predictions will fully outline this year’s squad and what they are capable of. With the 2025-26 NBA schedule out, there is a lot to talk about.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cleveland-cavaliers-most-to-blame-for-playoff-series-flameout-vs-pacers">Cavaliers’ playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers</a> was devastating for many reasons. Sadly, it ended what could have been an amazing season after they thoroughly dominated the NBA for months. The Cavs have a golden opportunity to make things right, especially with the potential fall of several Eastern Conference rivals.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cleveland-cavaliers-2025-nba-free-agency-grades-for-every-signing">Cavaliers made minor changes in free agency,</a> but still have a roster that can do a lot of damage. Now, it’s time to put it all together and make a run. It’s to cement some Cavaliers predictions for the season after the release of the 2025-26 NBA schedule.</p><h2><b>The Cavaliers will roll through the 2025-26 NBA season</b></h2><p>The Cavs will open the season with a showdown against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Then, they will play the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center before having their home opener against the Milwaukee Bucks. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-myles-turner-poaches-pacers-107-million-milwaukee-free-agency">Bucks signed Myles Turner,</a> who was one of the players responsible for the elimination of the Cavs, so that will be a pivotal showdown. Next, the Cavs will head back on the road for a showdown with the Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics, who will look vastly different after losing Jayson Tatum to an injury.</p><p>Things get a lot softer after that. The Cavs will play the Toronto Raptors, Atlanta Hawks, and Philadelphia 76ers before playing the Washington Wizards. After that, they will play two consecutive games in South Beach against the Miami Heat before hosting the Raptors again.</p><p>Although they likely won’t go 15-0 to start the season as they did last season, there is great potential for another hot start. With the Pacers losing Tyrese Haliburton (to injury) and Turner (to the Bucks), they likely take a step back. Likewise, the Celtics lost Tatum (to injury) and Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday (to trades), leaving Derrick White and Jaylen Brown as the remaining stars from the roster. The Knicks and Bucks seem to be the only obstacles in the way</p><h2><b>The Cavs will stay healthy</b></h2><p>The Cavs have fallen apart in the previous two seasons. Therefore, many are skeptical that they will stay healthy this season. But each new season brings new opportunities, and a new chance to do something new.</p><p>Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen are one of the best starting lineups in the NBA. However, they have added some depth to the bench to help them stay fresh. Deandre Hunter is their best player off the bench, and Dean Wade, Ty Jerome, and Sam Merrill all add something. The biggest wildcard will be Lonzo Ball. How much does he have left after his numerous knee injuries? If Ball can stay healthy off the bench, then he can give Mitchell and Garland much-needed rest and keep them fresh for the playoffs.</p><h2><b>The Cavaliers will go deep in the playoffs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Jarrett-Allen.jpg"><figcaption>© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-3-biggest-eastern-conference-threats-face-2025-26">Cavaliers are one of the Eastern Conference </a><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-3-biggest-eastern-conference-threats-face-2025-26" rel="noopener">threats</a> and will make a deep run this season. They went 64-18 last season, running through the NBA before pounding the Heat in the first round. Unfortunately, they stumbled against the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. This time, things will be different.</p><p>The Cavs will likely continue to play well. Overall, they could dominate again, going 60-22 while winning the top seed again. The Cavaliers will run through the eighth-seed Celtics in the first round. Next, they will dispatch the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, finally reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since LeBron James led them to an NBA title.</p><p>This will pit them against the Knicks, who fell to the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. While the Cavs will put up a great fight, they will likely fall to the Knicks, who are battle-tested and seasoned after enduring their own playoff struggles over the past few years. While this season will be better for the Cavs, there are a few things they will need to go right for them to make it to the NBA Finals.</p><p>The Eastern Conference is slightly weaker, with the potential fall of the Pacers and Celtics. While the Bucks will be better with Turner, things will not be as difficult as it was last season. The easiest Cavaliers predictions to make for this team are regular-season success. What they do in the playoffs is still a mystery.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cleveland Cavaliers 2025-26 season predictions after NBA schedule release

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-3-biggest-eastern-conference-threats-face-2025-26');   ga('set', 'title', '3 biggest Eastern Conference threats the Thunder will face in 2025-26');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Thunder-news-3-biggest-Eastern-Conference-threats-the-Thunder-will-face-in-2025-26.jpg"></figure><h1>3 biggest Eastern Conference threats the Thunder will face in 2025-26</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-14T09:53:35-07:00">August 14th, 9:53am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-14T09:53:35-07:00">August 14th, 9:53am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the champion Oklahoma City <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/3-biggest-western-conference-threats-the-thunder-face-2025-26">Thunder prepare for three of their biggest threats</a> in the Western Conference, there are a few teams that can hang with them, hailing from the Eastern Conference. After the Thunder won the 2025 NBA Finals, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-isaiah-hartenstein-reveals-difference-facing-pacers-nuggets-playoffs" rel="noopener">Isaiah Hartenstein said the Denver Nuggets struck fear</a> into them most during their seven-game series. If Oklahoma City is to repeat as back-to-back champions, who will be waiting for them in next year’s NBA Finals?</p><p>Here are three Eastern Conference squads with the best chances to take down the champion Thunder in 2025-26.</p><h2><b>1. The Cleveland Cavs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Cavs-All-Stars-Donovan-Mitchell-Evan-Mobley-Darius-Garland.jpg"><figcaption>David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>After their most dominant regular season since LeBron James led them to their first championship, injuries derailed the Cleveland Cavs from reaching their full potential in last year’s playoffs. Their All-Star Darius Garland suffered a left big toe injury that kept him out for half of the Cavs’ first-round series against the Miami Heat. All-Star Evan Mobley went down with a sprained left ankle in the Eastern Conference semifinals opener against the Indiana Pacers.</p><p>Then, the Cavs’ third All-Star, Donovan Mitchell, reaggravated his left ankle in Game 4 against the Pacers before Cleveland was eliminated in Game 5. Still, at full strength, no team in the Eastern Conference is better equipped to take down the champions than Cleveland. Between the Cavs’ defense in Defensive Player of the Year in Mobley, center Jarrett Allen, and De’Andre Hunter, Cleveland has the depth and size to stifle the Thunder.</p><p>Add Mitchell and Garland, and the Cavs have enough offensive firepower to keep up with MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and All-Star Jalen Williams. Cleveland also re-signed Sam Merrill and Larry Nance Jr. and traded for Lonzo Ball. The Cavs handed the Thunder its only loss to an Eastern Conference squad during the regular season, and are positioned to be just as dominant, and barring any significant injuries, should be considered favorites to win the East.</p><h2><b>2. The New York Knicks</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Knicks-All-Stars-Karl-Anthony-Towns-Jalen-Brunson.jpg"><figcaption>Petre Thomas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The New York Knicks are back. For the first time in 25 years, they reached the Eastern Conference Finals, and their star center, Karl-Anthony Towns, who’s coming off his most productive season, is entering his prime. You could say the same about All-Star Jalen Brunson, 28, and Mikal Bridges, which made re-signing the prolific wing defender to a long-term deal a no-brainer. The Knicks front office is fully committed to this core and for good reason.</p><p>However, as the Thunder exemplified in its run to winning a title, depth is key, which New York acknowledged by signing free agents Jordan Clarkson and Gershon Yabusele. Head coach Tom Thibodeau relied on his core three starters and Josh Hart heavily last season as the Knicks struggled with consistent bench production. Bringing in veteran head coach Mike Brown <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45690579/new-york-knicks-officially-hire-mike-brown-head-coach" rel="noopener">is a seamless fit</a> to help even out New York’s depth.</p><p>Between the defensive depth led by Towns, Bridges, and Hart, with standouts such as OG Anunoby and seven-foot center Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks can keep up with the Thunder’s versatility. They also have a closer in Brunson, who’s now surrounded by the deepest roster he’s had since arriving in the Big Apple in 2022.</p><h2><b>3. The Milwaukee Bucks</b></h2><p>While some fans are wondering if Milwaukee Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo’s days are numbered in Milwaukee, veteran <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-bobby-portis-promise-giannis-antetokounmpo-isnt-leaving">Bobby Portis believes the Bucks can still compete</a>. For the past three seasons, injuries have derailed the 2021 NBA champions from returning to the NBA Finals, albeit due to significant setbacks for either Damian Lillard or Antetokounmpo. Barring another significant injury, this could be the season Milwaukee breaks through.</p><p>The Bucks poached the Indiana Pacers’ rim protector in Myles Turner, but will need Kevin Porter Jr. and Gary Trent Jr. to step into more prominent roles in the absence of Damian Lillard. And with Antetokounmpo in his prime, we should see another MVP-caliber season from The Greek Freak, who pushes the Bucks ahead of Eastern Conference teams such as the Jayson Tatum-less Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers, who will be without Tyrese Haliburton in 2025-26.</p><p>The Bucks may be a distant third compared to the aforementioned Cavs and Knicks, but could be the surprise team in the East if the stars align.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 biggest Eastern Conference threats the Thunder will face in 2025-26

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-shaquille-oneal-wild-story-addicted-painkillers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Shaquille O’Neal shares wild story about getting addicted to painkillers during NBA career');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/NBA-Shaquille-ONeil-Press-Conference.jpg"><figcaption>Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Shaquille O’Neal shares wild story about getting addicted to painkillers during NBA career</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-13T23:49:09-07:00">August 13th, 11:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-13T23:49:09-07:00">August 13th, 11:49pm</time><address><a>Paolo Mariano</a>Paolo Mariano is a freelance writer, editor, and producer based in Manila, Philippines. He is a journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas and the father of a young girl whose personality swings from Simone Biles to Dillon Brooks. A beacon of objectivity, he believes Penny Hardaway is the true NBA GOAT.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Boston Celtics</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>During his nearly two decades in the NBA, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-shaq-ranks-his-top-10-players-of-all-time">Shaquille </a>O’Neal brought the pain to opposing teams. During his peak, he was the most destructive force the league has ever seen. The broken backboards could attest to that.</p><p>But unbeknownst to many, O’Neal, for all his power and strength, relied a lot on painkillers during his playing days. He admitted it on a recent episode of the “Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard” podcast. </p><p>The NBA legend said his doctor warned him about his addiction to painkillers, but he refused to budge, which led to “a heated discussion.” O’Neal admitted that he even <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTonCZhILeo" rel="noopener">disobeyed his </a>doctor’s prescribed dose.</p><p>“I would do homeboy math. If it said take one, I’m taking three,” said the Hall of Fame center.</p><p>“It was a club sandwich, fries, and two pills for 19 years.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-shaq-reveals-close-relationship-kobe-bryant-mom">O’Neal, who won four titles with the Los Angeles Lakers</a> and the Miami Heat, labored with various injuries during the latter part of his career. They further limited his mobility and possibly spurred him to take more painkillers. He also struggled with his weight, although his heft helped him become a dominant player. </p><p>The three-time Finals MVP retired from the NBA in 2011. He finished with career averages of 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks. </p><p>O’Neal first opened up about his use of “a lot of painkillers” in 2022. He admitted to Esquire’s Jack Holmes that his <a href="https://www.esquire.com/sports/a42219112/shaq-interview-kyrie-irving-germany-accident-documentary/" rel="noopener">kidneys have been affected</a> by his addiction. </p><p>“That’s why I don’t take any supplements or anything right now. The only thing I take is my little GF-9 stuff. But my kidneys are kind of just chilling out right now. I don’t want to flare ‘em back up,” said the NBA icon.</p><p>These days, O’Neal is preparing for the new chapter of “Inside the NBA” as they move to ESPN and ABC for the upcoming season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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ClevelandCavaliers NEWS

Cavaliers News: Get the latest Cleveland Cavaliers news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ClutchPoints.

Latest Cavaliers News

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