CLE PHI BKN CLE MIN CLE WAS CLE CLE ATL CLE MIL OKC CLE PHI CLE NYK CLE CLE CHAHead Coach
Kenny Atkinson
Assistant Coach
Trainer
Founded
1970
City
Cleveland
Arena
Rocket Arena
G-League
Cleveland Charge
Governor(s)
Dan Gilbert
General Manager
Koby Altman
| Player | # | POS | Height | Weight | Birthdate | Age | Exp | School | How Acquired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Harden | 1 | G | 6-5 | 220 lbs | Aug 26, 1989 | 36 | 17 | Arizona State | Traded from LAC on 02/04/26 |
| Max Strus | 2 | G-F | 6-5 | 215 lbs | Mar 28, 1996 | 30 | 7 | DePaul | Traded from MIA on 07/06/23 |
| Thomas Bryant | 3 | C-F | 6-9 | 248 lbs | Jul 31, 1997 | 29 | 9 | Indiana | Signed on 09/25/25 |
| Evan Mobley | 4 | C | 6-11 | 215 lbs | Jun 18, 2001 | 25 | 5 | Southern California | #3 Pick in 2021 Draft |
| Sam Merrill | 5 | G | 6-4 | 205 lbs | May 15, 1996 | 30 | 6 | Utah State | Signed on 03/03/23 |
| Dennis Schröder | 8 | G | 6-1 | 175 lbs | Sep 15, 1993 | 32 | 13 | Braunschweig | Traded from SAC on 02/01/26 |
| Craig Porter Jr. | 9 | G | 6-1 | 180 lbs | Feb 26, 2000 | 26 | 3 | Wichita State | Signed on 07/03/23 |
| Riley Minix | 12 | F | 6-7 | 230 lbs | Sep 22, 2000 | 25 | 2 | Morehead State | Signed on 02/13/26 |
| Meleek Thomas | 15 | G | 6-5 | 185 lbs | Aug 06, 2006 | 20 | R | Arkansas | #34 Pick in 2026 Draft |
| Jaylon Tyson | 20 | G-F | 6-6 | 215 lbs | Dec 02, 2002 | 23 | 2 | California | #20 Pick in 2024 Draft |
| Tristan Enaruna | 21 | F | 6-7 | 220 lbs | Jun 26, 2001 | 25 | 1 | Cleveland State | Signed on 09/26/25 |
| Tyrese Proctor | 24 | G | 6-4 | 185 lbs | Apr 01, 2004 | 22 | 1 | Duke | #49 Pick in 2025 Draft |
| Jarrett Allen | 31 | C | 6-9 | 243 lbs | Apr 21, 1998 | 28 | 9 | Texas | Traded from BKN on 01/16/21 |
| Mario Hezonja | 33 | F-G | 6-8 | 220 lbs | Feb 25, 1995 | 31 | 5 | FC Barcelona | Signed on 07/31/26 |
| Nae'Qwan Tomlin | 35 | F | 6-8 | 210 lbs | Dec 19, 2000 | 25 | 2 | Memphis | Signed on 09/23/24 |
| Ernest Udeh, Jr. | 39 | C | 6-11 | 266 lbs | Jan 08, 2004 | 22 | R | Miami | Signed on 07/01/26 |
| Donovan Mitchell | 45 | G | 6-2 | 215 lbs | Sep 07, 1996 | 29 | 9 | Louisville | Traded from UTA on 09/03/22 |
Total Points
LeBron James
23,119
Total Assists
LeBron James
6,228
Total Rebounds
LeBron James
6,190
Total Blocks
Zydrunas Ilgauskas
1,269
Total Steals
LeBron James
1,376
Championship Wins
2016
Conference Titles
2007, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Division Titles
1976, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2025
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a Central Division team from Cleveland, and are one of the most-watched teams in the Eastern Conference for the 2026-2027 season. It's a season where there's a pretty big veteran infusion with Cleveland picking up James Harden free agency, who brings a proven high-usage scorer and playmaker to a team that was looking to extend their playoff run. The Cavaliers also re-signed Thomas Bryant for frontcourt depth.
This guide will delve into both sides of the story: what the Cavaliers are as a franchise, and what has changed since then for the upcoming Cleveland Cavalier 2026-27 season.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a 1970s expansion team that dates back to 1970. The team has gone through many iterations over the decades and is now a blue-collar Midwest brand that rode one of the longest droughts for the city in the history of sports with the 2016 title. It is a story of a single championship, recorded in 2016 after the Central Division's team had a huge lead in the Finals with a 3-1 record that they overcame, and a story that is still talked about when the franchise's all-time contenders are discussed.
LeBron James is the most prominent name in the franchise's history and his performances were instrumental in the brand of the Cleveland Cavaliers for generations of fans. There's context to be considered, too: The expectations for one franchise with an NBA title are different than those for one in the process of securing their first; that's influencing how this season's veteran signings — like James Harden — are being discussed.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the blue-collar Midwest teams that put an end to one of the longest championship droughts in the history of the NBA with their 2016 victory. That identity impacts trades, free agency, offensive and defensive philosophies of the coaching staff, and so much more.
Cleveland has been focusing on a balanced offense and switching defense into its attack in 2026-27, and the addition of Harden will provide yet another shot-creation opportunity to lighten the load for the team's younger stars.
Competition also can influence the national view of a franchise. The Golden State Warriors are the most memorable opponents the Cavs have and it is a matchup that always garners a lot of interest on the Cavs schedule and should be added to the Cavaliers fan's calendar.
Cleveland's 2026-2027 season boasts a significant veteran addition with Cleveland's signing of James Harden in free agency, bringing a high-usage playmaker and scorer to a team seeking to further its playoff journey. This season counts because Cleveland is looking to replicate some of the playoff success it has had with Harden on the bench, playing secondary to him, or getting him off the bench in the first place.
Cleveland has developed a solid core and steadily improved toward the playoffs in recent years. The 2025-26 campaign followed an upward trend and the front office put veteran proven talent in this offseason, but not a radical change.
Coaching Points: Finding the right role and touches in an already established offensive hierarchy will be the key coaching question for Harden.
Second-Round Pick: Meleek Thomas (No. 34) Strengths: Scoring guard with shot-creation upside Prospective rookie role: Depth piece, most likely on the G League seasoning shipments.
Thomas is a long-term development piece, not necessarily a player that's going to be a quick contributor, and that's the blueprint that Cleveland has obviously used to build.
| Move | Type | Expected Impact |
| James Harden | Free Agent | Veteran scoring and playmaking |
| Thomas Bryant | Re-signed | Frontcourt depth |
| Dean Wade → Philadelphia | Departure | Loses forward depth |
| Keon Ellis → Brooklyn | Departure | Loses perimeter defense depth |
Roster-fit analysis: Harden's arrival provides another proven ball handler for Cleveland, but mixing him with the anchor players in the middle will be a challenge.
Thomas Bryant, Mario Hezonja and Meleek Thomas are in the mix as a deep bench behind James Harden.
James Harden Anticipated to have immediate starting value and/or playmaking ability with clear scoring and assist numbers.
Darius Garland Needs to keep developing as an offensive threat with a deep backcourt.
Whether Harden's presence is a positive or a negative addition to a team will depend on how well he is able to play in a complementary role.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, as a Central Division team, are in one of the toughest divisions in the East. Playoff seeding, home-court advantage and, after the addition of the play-in tournament, the guaranteed playoff spot or play-in battle for the last seeds remain dependent on the standings in the divisions and conferences. Looking at the Cavaliers' divisional record, rather than their overall record, is a better indication of how the team with Harden is doing against the divisional foes with whom they play most frequently.
The offense goes to great lengths and Harden fills in a complementary role, while Cleveland advances to the Conference Finals.
In the playoffs, chemistry issues will prevent the team from reaching its peak performance because of role friction between Harden and the existing core.
Cleveland has an impressive roster of talent depth and has two-way skill to make a run at the top of the East if it can get roles right.
Each NBA season is defined by a team's roster changes, coaching styles and health, which dictate its path before the playoffs even start. The Cleveland Cavaliers will have to follow the following storylines:
Rosters, coaching staffs and injury situations flip around in the preseason so don't take any projections as gospel, the best way to keep track of the Cavaliers' form is to follow the real schedule and box scores for the rest of the season.
As with all NBA teams, the Cavs face a 82-game regular season before the field of teams is determined for the post-season. That load is divided almost evenly among conference opponents and a rotating schedule of games against interconference opponents, which includes the marquee "Warriors rivalry" games. Every regular-season game is important: Even on a team with only 1 championship banner in its history, the top seed in the Eastern Conference has home-court advantage and a few close divisional games can be the key to getting a high seed.
The season breaks into recognizable stretches:
If you are a fan that is discovering the Cleveland Cavaliers for the first time in 2026-27, it's not just trivia that is important to understand the history, it's also how the team is covered and talked about. An NBA champion franchise has other standards than a one that is still working toward that honor, and whether the team is doing well or not is judged, justly or not, against the benchmarks set by the time LeBron James was in the NBA. Remember context matters, and the fact that a veteran who's proven his ability to be a big-time addition like James Harden sparks such a lot of talk in Cleveland is a good sign that the front office is wanting to go back that route again.
It's also why this rivalry has additional significance for the Cavaliers perspective, as rivalries created over years of playoff games are more significant to a fan base than newer games, even if the newer team is playing a stronger opponent.
Sports OKBet is one of the top sports betting websites in the Philippines that provides the odds and lines of the Eastern Conference contenders including the championships throughout the season.
The Cavaliers begin 2026-27 as a proper Eastern Conference team, and their stock has been increased with James Harden's signing while the complexity of the roster has been added, all while being measured by the LeBron James era and the 2016 championship it produced. If role integration is successful, Cleveland is a conference level team. Keep track of the Cavaliers' season and stay up to date on odds and analysis at
Established in 1970 as an expansion franchise from the 1970's.
Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse at Cleveland is the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers play in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference.
The Golden State Warriors have the largest rivalry in Cleveland Cavs history.
Yes, Harden was a free agent this offseason and signed with Cleveland.
Cleveland's No. 34 overall pick was Meleek Thomas.
Yes, Cleveland will likely be a #4 seed in the East.
A deep team that has a few good shot makers and a fantastic frontcourt defense.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have one NBA championship in their arsenal, which they won after recovering from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals in 2016.
Sourcing notes: Historical facts (foundation year, scores of championships, arena name, rivalries) have been taken from the official NBA franchise guides for each of the other 30 teams, compiled by the OKSports Editorial Team. Details pertaining to any trades, drafts, or free agency may be updated from the NBA.com and Wikipedia 2026-27 NBA transaction log, as of August 2026. The results of lineup order, wins and scenarios are analytical in nature.
