The Cleveland Cavs are just a few weeks away from kicking off their 2026-27 NBA season. The Cavs had an interesting offseason, including recently signing and trading for Denver Nuggets wing Peyton Watson, as well as re-signing star Donovan Mitchell on a massive new contract.
Recently, Mitchell spoke on why he was comfortable signing the $273 million extension now instead of waiting for next summer, when he could have potentially gotten even more money.
“I mean, I think for myself, it’s more so of a commitment to this group, to the city and understanding, yeah, I could have waited and made it about myself and whatnot, but I’ve been blessed to make a lot of money in this league and do what I’ve been able to do. So, for me, how can we as a team go out there and find a way to make moves? Pretty much team first,” he said, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com.
Not many pundits expect the Cavs to make major noise in the Eastern Conference this year, thanks in large part to the moves some of the teams around them made, with the Philadelphia 76ers adding LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, the Toronto Raptors trading for Kawhi Leonard, and the Miami Heat acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo, among other moves.
Still, the Watson addition could theoretically be exactly what the Cavs have been missing at the small forward position during the Mitchell era, giving the team a boost of size and athleticism on the wing, in addition to another shot creator in isolation.
In any case, the Cavs are set to kick off their new year on October 22 on the road against the 76ers.