CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Wednesday night’s elimination of the Cleveland Cavaliers by the Boston Celtics started the clock on a consequential offseason for the franchise.
The Cavs, without Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert, gave it all they had in Game 5 but it was not enough to keep the season alive and force a Game 6.
As a result, this could be the beginning of the end for the tenures of head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland.
Shortly after Cleveland was eliminated, the NBA’s top two insiders – ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported the organization would take a few days to evaluate Bickerstaff’s future.
Following the Game 5 loss Cavs chairman Dan Gilbert posted the following on his verified X account: “Cleveland, it’s heartbreaking, but I am proud of the fight and the progress of this team. Thanks to all @cavs fans and supporters who were there all season for us. The future is bright in The Land! #LetEmKnow”
Since Bickerstaff took over as interim coach following the departure of John Beilein midway through the 2019-2020 season, the Cavs have progressed each year from 22 wins in his first full season to 44 wins in his second year. Last year the Cavs lost a lopsided series in five games to the Knicks in the first round and this year survived in seven games against Orlando to advance to the conference semifinals for the first time since 2018.
This is also the third consecutive year the Cavs faded down the stretch. They finished the regular season 12-17 after the All-Star break and were the No. 4 seed in the East for the second straight year.
However, questions about Bickerstaff’s lineups, rotations, player minutes and late game strategy grew as expectations rose, and with them bounced in five games in a playoff series again – injuries notwithstanding – his job is in jeopardy.
Mitchell is driven by his desire to win a championship and his commitment as a Cavalier cannot be questioned. He gave all he had over the last two seasons since the blockbuster trade was made with Utah, but have the Cavs shown him that he can win one here?
The five-time All-Star cost Cleveland a fortune – and rightfully so – in September 2022: Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, who turned into an All-Star, and Ochai Agbaji along with the Cavs first-round picks in 2025, 2027 and 2029.
If Mitchell does not stay, the Cavs will be paying for a player no longer with them for the next four years with only one playoff series win to show for the trade.
Mitchell is set to enter the final year of team control of his contract next season – there is a player option for 2025-2026 but if Mitchell opts out, he becomes a free agent. The Cavs are prepared to offer him a four-year maximum extension worth over $208 million this summer. Whether or not Mitchell would accept it and commit to the Cavs long term is the question, and if he declines, the organization will have no choice but to trade him this summer.
Beyond the Bickerstaff and Mitchell futures is the problem of the roster not fitting together.
Darius Garland, an All-Star during the 2021-2022 season, has regressed since Mitchell’s arrival.
Sure, some of that can be attributed to injuries, but even when healthy, the backcourt of Mitchell and Garland rarely flourished simultaneously. Garland produced more when Mitchell was not on the floor, and that is not what the organization envisioned when they acquired Mitchell.
If Mitchell stays, Garland will likely need to be dealt and his trade value certainly has taken a hit the last two years. Should it be Mitchell that has to be moved because he will not sign an extension, it’s fair to ask if Garland is a winning player capable of carrying the team in a way Mitchell did.
Then there is the Evan Mobley-Jarrett Allen dillema.
Mobley scored a playoff career-high 33 points to go with seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks Wednesday night, but he has not seen his offensive game evolve as quickly with Allen on the floor. With Allen sidelined the last seven playoff games due to bruised ribs, Mobley has flourished.
Keeping the young, talented Mobley and developing his game needs to be a top priority, and trading Allen might be necessary to clear the way for the 2021 No. 3 overall pick and open up the floor.
Cleveland’s offense seemed to run smoother with one big and four shooters on the floor than with Allen and Mobley together. They went 18-2 over a 20-game stretch with Garland and Mobley sidelined for six weeks with injuries and the team never regained that form when both returned.
Clearly there are a bunch of questions that need answered, and all of them consequential, if not monumental.
The time has come for an honest internal evaluation of how to move forward as the Cavs enter this offseason at a crossroads.
It starts with Bickerstaff and Mitchell. We may have the answer on Bickerstaff soon, but everyone will be holding their breath over the next few months waiting for Mitchell to decide.
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