The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming into 2025-26 as one of the hotter teams.

Of course, they’ve been on everyone’s minds for the better part of two decades thanks to LeBron James. However, even with James now suiting up for the Los Angeles Lakers, they have big name players. In a league that’s absolutely fascinated by offense, they have elite scorers. Despite the league moving away from dogged defense, they also have high-quality players at that end. Last but not least, they won 64 games in 2024-25, the second-most games in franchise history.

With that in mind, given the state of the Cavs franchise, they face three burning questions ahead of next season.

3 Burning Questions For Cavs Heading Into 2025-26 Season
Has Donovan Mitchell Peaked?

It’s difficult to determine exactly where Donovan Mitchell is on his career path. At 29 years old, he’s presumably still in his prime, but he’s close to being on the wrong side of 30. His numbers reflect that juxtaposition, with Mitchell averaging a career-high 28.3 points per game two seasons ago versus 24.0 points per game in 2024-25.

Given Mitchell’s desire to see backcourt mate Darius Garland evolve, that camaraderie initially seemed like the reason for this decline. Yet, last season Garland also averaged fewer points per game (20.6) than he did in 2022-23 (21.6).

Amid a Defensive Player of the Year campaign, Evan Mobley did average a career-high 18.5 points per game. This was +2.6 points per game more than he did in 2022-23. However, it still doesn’t explain why Mitchell and Garland’s production dropped by a combined +5.3 points per game.

The Cavs have their best record in franchise history at the All-Star break.Jan 8, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) and guard Darius Garland (10) celebrate after Mitchell made a three point basket during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Maybe the answer is as simple as Ty Jerome averaging a career-high 12.5 points per game in 2024-25. Yet, coaches aren’t in the habit of taking the ball of their star scorer’s hands to put it in the sixth man’s. If Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson decided that gave Cleveland the best chance to win, either he or Mitchell needs to be out of town.

All of that being said, Mitchell tweeting #LetEmKnow every day is a nice way to build up his Cavs support base. However, what those fans really need to know is he’s ready to go all in, not just recite team slogans. But, hey, maybe he’s just peaked.

What’s De’Andre Hunter’s Role?

Prior to the 2025 NBA Playoffs, the Cavs demonstrated their commitment to making a title run by trading for De’Andre Hunter. When the deal was made, Hunter was in the midst of a breakthrough season, averaging 19.0 points per game with the Atlanta Hawks. However, Hunter averaged 14.0 points per game in regular season post-trade, and 11.0 points per game in the postseason.

As Jerome signed with the Memphis Grizzlies this offseason, Hunter should now have free rein in the second unit. Yet, there’s reason to believe the 6-foot-8 forward could be a starter in 2025-26.

The Darius Garland Conundrum

Recovering from big toe surgery, Garland may not be available at the beginning of the season. If not, Mitchell has enough playmking and ball-handling ability to temporarily slide to point guard. This also allows Lonzo Ball can get in the flow with the second unit. Then, Max Strus could slot in as the starting shooting guard, where he could thrive at 6-foot-5. In turn, Hunter could find himself in the first unit frontcourt, alongside Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

The Jarrett Allen Complication

Allen is currently a fixture in Cleveland’s rotation. Yet, the longer Mobley takes to grow truly comfortable scoring from the perimeter, the more complicated it is to play he and Allen alongside each other. As a result, there could come a day when Allen is brought off the bench or traded. In this event, Mobley would then start at center. Hunter could be inserted in the first unit as a stretch-forward that packs more of a scoring punch than Dean Wade.

The Max Strus Counter

The last scenario simply sees Hunter starting over Strus, who’s also recovering from offseason surgery. Not only does he have better size, he’s more consistent beyond the arc. However, Strus does have an advantage as a movement shooter, which Atkinson could see as too important to Cleveland’s shot variability.

Will They Have A Letdown Season?

Mitchell hasn’t had his foot on the gas. Hunter hasn’t produced at the level expected. Garland and Strus are injured and projected to miss the start of 2025-26. Allen’s fit with Mobley is arguably more of a headache than it’s worth. They’ve lost Jerome in free agency and replaced him with a player who has only suited up for 70 combined games over the past four seasons.

All in all, the Cavs look like they’ll have a letdown season after winning 64 games in 2024-25. However, while the regular season is the time to build habits, it’s more important for them to be healthy and in rhythm in the playoffs. In other words, regular season dominance is nice, but the postseason has the real prize.

Cleveland knows that as well as any team, not in the least because poor health played a part in their surprisingly short 2025 NBA Playoffs run.