Cleveland Cavaliers' 4 Worst-Case Scenarios For 2024-25 NBA Season

There are a few scenarios that could really upend the Cleveland Cavaliers' chances of making a playoff run next season.

Feb 19, 2022; Cleveland, OH, USA; Team Cavs player Darius Garland (10) and player Evan Mobley (4) and player Jarrett Allen (31) celebrate after a play in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge against Team Rooks and Team Antetokounmpo during the 2022 NBA All-Star Saturday Night at Rocket Mortgage Field House. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers have not made any major roster additions this offseason, but they have been busy ensuring that their own players will stick around for the long haul.

The Cavaliers have struck contract extensions with both Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, who join Darius Garland as three max players on the squad.

This means that Cleveland is pretty locked in heading into the 2024-25 NBA campaign, and possibly for the next couple of years.

The Cavs have made back-to-back playoff appearances, and this past spring, they were able to win a round before being bounced by the eventual champion Boston Celtics.

The Cavaliers are anticipating better results with more seasoning as next season approaches, but what are the obstacles that can prevent Cleveland from taking a big step?

Here are the four worst-case scenarios for the Cavs in 2024-25.

Evan Mobley doesn't improve offensively

Mobley is a game-changer defensively. That much we know. He can defend the rim, he can defend in space and he can guard multiple positions thanks to his unique blend of size and athleticism.

But offensively is another story.

Mobley certainly isn't a non-factor on that end of the floor, as evidenced by the fact that he averaged 15.7 points per game while posting a true-shooting percentage of 62.6 percent this past season.

However, the 23-year-old is very limited as a scorer, with most of his points coming off of lobs and putbacks around the basket.

Mobley did show flashes of developing a three-point shot this past year, shooting 37.3 percent on 59 long-range attempts. But obviously, the volume wasn't there.

He doesn't really have any semblance of a post game, and to be quite frank, Mobley has shown little to no improvement in his offensive repertoire since entering the league in 2020. As a matter of fact, Mobley's scoring average dipped during the 2023-24 campaign (he logged 16.2 points a night the year prior).

The Cavaliers just signed Mobley to a massive five-year extension with the hope that he will make some progress soon. If he doesn't, Cleveland could be in for a disappointing season.

Darius Garland demands a trade

Garland says he is content in Cleveland, even after a miserable year in which he averaged 18 points per game off pedestrian efficiency and then cratered to 15.7 points per game in the playoffs.

There were rumblings that Garland could ask for a trade if the Cavs extended Mitchell, but Garland has squashed that notion. For now.

Let's say Garland has a rough start to the 2024-25 season. At what point does he become frustrated and ask out of Cleveland?

It could even reach a point where the Cavaliers ultimately decide that the Mitchell-Garland pairing is simply not working and, in turn, place Garland on the trade block (they certainly aren't moving Mitchell).

There is certainly hope. After all, in Mitchell's debut campaign in Cleveland, Garland registered 21.6 points per game and had the most efficient season of his career. So, perhaps this past year was just a bit of a hiccup.

However, if things continue to go south for Garland, he could become frustrated and seek to terminate his tenure in Believeland.

Jaylon Tyson makes minimal impact

Going into the offseason, one of the biggest needs for the Cavaliers was a lengthy swingman who could defend some of the bigger wings in the Eastern Conference.

Cleveland struck out in free agency, but it did select 6-foot-7 wing Jaylon Tyson in the first round of the NBA Draft.

Relying on a rookie is always risky, especially one that wasn't a lottery pick. But Tyson has had a rather strong showing in Summer League, and defense is his calling card.

Of course, there is the chance—an unfortunately likely one—that Tyson struggles with growing pains throughout his debut season and doesn't really make a consistent impact for the Cavaliers.

In that scenario, it will become that much more apparent that Cleveland probably should have worked harder to acquire another wing this offseason, which brings us to our final point.

The Cavaliers fail to acquire another wing

Even if Tyson succeeds during his rookie season, you have to imagine that he isn't going to be a daily contributor. He is just a first-year player, after all.

The Cavs really do need to acquire another wing, and they only way they can do it at this point is by swinging a trade.

There has been chatter that the Cavaliers could potentially move Isaac Okoro—who is a restricted free agent—in a sign-and-trade deal. Brookyln Nets forwards Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith have been mentioned as potential candidates, but nothing concrete has formed along that front.

Cleveland needs to find a wing somewhere, whether it's sometime the remainder of this summer or in a midseason trade.

If not, the Cavs will be stuck in a similar situation to where they were this past season: having a small backcourt with limited depth to deal with the other top teams in the Eastern Conference.