The Cleveland Cavaliers had a successful season by making the playoffs without LeBron James for the first time since 1998. They are on a strong trajectory after selecting Darius Garland and Evan Mobley in the draft. The organization saw enough promise from the team last season that they felt it was time to go all in and acquire Donovan Mitchell to push them into the playoffs.
The trade will help them win a lot of regular season games but the roster still lacks the defensive versatility to make a meaningful playoff run. The Knicks defeated the Cavaliers by attacking that weakness and now Cleveland will have a difficult time addressing that need with little to no trade assets left at their disposal. Their best shot could be to pursue one with cap space or with the mid-level exception.
Here is a preview of the 2023 offseason for the Cleveland Cavaliers.