by The Cleveland Cavaliers have been on among the unlikeliest of win streaks. Things looked bleak on Dec. 15 when the team (13-12 at the time) got the news that star guard Darius Garland and young forward Evan Mobley would be out for extended periods of time with injuries. However, the Cavs have had a miraculous turnaround, going 18-4 in the stretch since then and have surged into third place in the Eastern Conference.
Major credit for the recent success must be given to superstar guard Donovan Mitchell and center Jarrett Allen, as defenses had no answer for their two-man game that they’ve been able to run. Without Garland and Mobley, Mitchell has had full control of the offense and successfully utilized the presence of Allen rolling without another big man impeding in his space. Both Garland and Mobley are now back in the lineup and both short-term and long-term questions are arising.
Firstly, the past month has been Allen’s best stretch of games in a Cleveland uniform, and it is hard to think that’s a coincidence. Mobley came into Cleveland with the sky-high expectations that come with being the 3rd pick in the draft and while there is still time to set things right, his growth has not been what was expected. While a very good athlete and a mobile big, his offensive game leaves much to be desired. He has not developed a consistent outside shot whatsoever and his finishing in traffic down low needs improvement. He has shown good touch in the 5-15 foot range but it’s hard to be consistent when that is your best source of offense.
Most importantly, his presence seems to semi-neutralize that of Allen’s when they are on the floor together. The twin-towers idea has worked defensively, as the team has consistently been in the top five in the league in defensive points per game, but the Cavs have struggled to break into the top 20 in offensive points per game, a number that just won’t cut it for teams trying to win a championship.
Allen has also only missed five games this season, the first five of the year, and in those games, Mobley only averaged 15.4 points per game, a number very comparable to his 15.9 points per game in his 24 total games played. Therefore, we’ve established that Allen is better without Mobley on the floor and not the other way around, but Mobley likely provides more long-term value because of his (potential) offensive skillset and defensive prowess. The Cavs are also 9-10 in games that Allen sits over the past 2 years, but an attractive 19-7 when Mobley sits. So, what do we do?
Right now, Allen is under contract until 2026. Mobley, on the other hand, is on his rookie deal, and if nothing changes, will be a restricted free agent in 2025. However, he is eligible for a maximum rookie contract extension, which if offered and signed, will reaffirm the Cavs’ commitment to Mobley and his development. Much will depend on how the 2024 playoffs go, but if the results are less than desirable and the Cavs are still hesitant to extend Mobley, don’t be shocked if he is dealt to a rebuilding team that can give Cleveland something that can help them win now (wing depth). If we were forced to choose who we think is more likely to be traded, Allen is still likely the clearer answer, but his improved play combined with Mobley’s struggles and injuries are making things a lot more interesting.
An even more fascinating subject on the forefront of general manager Koby Altman’s mind is the future of Mitchell. The Cavs are in precarious waters when dealing with their franchise cornerstone, as he only has the rest of this year and next year before he reaches his player option in 2025 that can make him a free agent. Following last season’s depressing playoff exit and the early season struggles that the team faced, rumblings have swirled that Mitchell was unhappy with the situation and wanted out, with the New York Knicks often being linked to his future.
Because of the feelings of discontentment coming out of Mitchell’s camp, Altman and the rest of the front office will likely be forced to explore trade options come the summertime if things don’t go their way again in the spring. Before their recent run of victories there were even rumors starting to go around that Mitchell could even be traded before this season’s trade deadline, though that now seems highly unlikely.
To make matters worse, we’re now starting to see questions about the fit of Garland and Mitchell next to each other. Both players are better with the ball in their hands and both of their stats improve in limited samples without the other on the floor. However, in the past two seasons when Mitchell isn’t suited up Cleveland is 13-10 but without Garland they are 28-9. That means that Mitchell is having no problems thriving both individually and with the team in Garland’s absences but the team is not great without Mitchell on the floor. Therefore, it’s very hard to try to argue that the Cavs are in any way better off by trading Mitchell, product-wise.
The contracts make it difficult too, as Cleveland may struggle to afford signing both Mitchell and Mobley considering Garland is on a massive deal through 2028. While Garland is a great player, his presence does not seem to make the team that much better with Mitchell on the floor as well and he’s eating a hole in their money that could cause them to lose Mitchell, the guy they traded for to win a championship. Even though they’ve hit their groove recently, the Cavs look bound to do some serious soul-searching if they find themselves in another early-round playoff exit.
