It was not that long ago when the goal for the Cleveland Cavaliers was just making the playoffs.
For a franchise that won a combined 41 games from 2019 to 2021 (which almost matched Kevin Love’s 2021 salary of 31 million) that was understandable. After the Cavs came painfully close during the 2021-22 season, that desire only intensified.
That is what prompted them to trade for Donovan Mitchell and add him to a budding core that included Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. However, when adding a star of Mitchell’s caliber, just making the playoffs is not the goal.