Cleveland Cavaliers' Future Called Into Question In New Rankings

One NBA analyst is not all that enamored with the Cleveland Cavaliers' roster for the future.

Nov 13, 2023; Sacramento, California, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) talks with guard Donovan Mitchell (45) before a free throw attempt against the Sacramento Kings in the second quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers are a young team and are hoping that their future is brighter than the past couple of years have been.

However, ESPN's Kevin Pelton does not necessarily think that will end up being the case.

In a piece where Pelton ranked every NBA team based on their future (more specifically, the next three seasons), he placed the Cavaliers a rather underwhelming 13th.

“The Cavaliers opted for roster continuity this summer, betting new coach Kenny Atkinson can get more out of this group," Pelton wrote. "If that doesn’t work, Cleveland, with few draft picks and a payroll already in the luxury tax, could choose to trade a core player.”

Cleveland did not make a single trade or free-agent signing over the summer. It did, however, sign Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen to contract extensions. It also opted to retain Darius Garland, who was the subject of rampant trade speculation earlier in the offseason.

The Cavs clearly have faith that their "core four" can work moving forward, but there is no question that time is running out for the group to make it happen.

If the Cavaliers get off to a disappointing start during the 2024-25 NBA campaign, it would not be the least bit surprising to see Cleveland try and trade Garland or Allen in order to tweak the roster.

Some have concerns about the Cavs' roster fit, wondering if Mobley and Allen can co-exist in the frontcourt and if the Mitchell-Garland combination will be successful over the long haul.

The Cavaliers certainly have many questions to answer in the coming season, and given all that they have invested into their nucleus, being ranked 13th in this category is definitely a gut punch.