$27.5 Billion Worth Dan Gilbert Vows to Bring Cavaliers Back to Playoff Relevance After 4-1 Exit

$27.5 Billion Worth Dan Gilbert Vows to Bring Cavaliers Back to Playoff Relevance After 4-1 Exit

Dan Gilbert, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland (Image via Firstsportz)

The Indiana Pacers made short work of Eastern Conference top seeds Cleveland with a 4-1 series win. Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and the rest of their players pushed the pace throughout the series and neutralized the Cavaliers’ size and offensive rebounding. This marks the third straight season that the Cavaliers started the playoffs with home-court advantage, but failed to reach the Conference Finals.

Their 64-18 regular season campaign propelled Cleveland to a no.1 seed. The team had 3 All-Stars and had the second-highest offensive rating of all time. Cleveland were one of the few teams to beat the OKC Thunder convincingly this year. All the signs pointed to this being possibly their breakthrough year.

Darius Garland experienced a resurgence and became a better scorer in the regular season. Evan Mobley looked like he had taken the next step in his progression. Jarrett Allen had continued on his own upward trajectory. Donovan Mitchell had progressed more than ever before as a passer and as a playmaker. Kenny Atkinson won Coach of the Year. And yet, this abject 4-1 margin of series victory shows that there are clear weaknesses to be sorted.

According to Mitchell, the team should be able to learn from this year and break through next year. After all, this was the second straight season that he and his teammates suffered injuries in the playoffs. Mobley, Garland and Deandre Hunter were the other Cavs who attempted to play through their injuries, but were clearly off their physical best. Max Strus and Ty Jerome proved unable to stand up to the playoff heat.

However, this was also the third time in five seasons that Mitchell got injured. Owner Dan Gilbert is faced with some tough questions about this core after their latest exit. He reassured the Cavaliers’ fanbase in his latest tweet, pledging to do whatever the team needs to ‘end up in a better place’ in 2025-26.

Cavs fans, I know it’s heartbreaking. But the good news is, we have a talented young core that will learn from this and continue to get better. We appreciate your incredible support all season long. It’s not how we wanted it to end, but I promise you we will do everything humanly possible to address what needs to be fixed and end in a much better place next year.

Dan Gilbert tweeted

Dan Gilbert could consider trading Donovan Mitchell

There are quite a few rosters across the league at risk of shakeups. Stars like Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo have all been linked to trades from their current situations. Perhaps Donovan Mitchell would be a player involved in such trade talks after a regular season in which his output took a hit. While Gilbert is the second-richest NBA owner after Steve Ballmer, luxury tax would still be a consideration in lieu of harsh repeater taxes.

The Cavaliers could potentially package Mitchell, Garland or Allen in deals that send them to a Western Conference contender. Teams like Houston, Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers are all in pursuit of pieces, and with the amount of trade volatility that is predicted to happen, multi-team trades could also be in play for several of these assets. Even teams like the reigning champion Boston Celtics might have plays to make.

The NBA offseason promises to have some big shakeups in store. Many contending rosters look more likely to see changes than any offseason since 2019. Injuries will undoubtedly play a part, but there will be other considerations for teams like Boston and Phoenix, which will look to lower their repeater luxury tax penalties for 2025-26.

Also Read: